I haven't had one of these stories in a while to fuss over, with everything going on in the world and that's a good thing. Plus, there's the fact that the Trump administration has been cooling some serious jets on the renewable scam side of the house, so perhaps the potential for building bigger and better disasters going forward will be severely constrained.

In the meantime, however, Green fever dreams are still going up in flames, and thanks to JeffS's sharp eyes this weekend, we found anouther one.

This incident happened a couple of days ago at something called the Fenix Battery Recycling plant in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland.

Emergency services received reports of a fire at Fenix Battery Recycling on Byrehill Place in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, shortly after midday on Wednesday 9 April. SFRS personnel responded to deal with the blaze with 10 fire appliances plus specialist resources mobilised. This included specialist HAZMAT units as a result of potentially hazardous fumes issuing from the blaze.

Locals reported explosions and large plumes of smoke issuing from the site, and SFRS advised that windows and doors should be kept closed and not to pick up any debris in the surrounding area. A number of properties in the vicinity of the site were evacuated as a precautionary measure, with a North Ayrshire Council spokesperson saying: “We would ask residents to continue to follow the advice they receive from the lead agencies, and we remain ready to continue to offer any support we can.”

The council opened a nearby community centre to accommodate residents during the evacuation until the fire was brought under control later that afternoon and people could return to their homes. A Police Scotland statement confirmed that there were “no reports of anyone having been injured.”

 Much like the Moss Landing lithium ion battery storage facility fire in California, residents were hustled out of their homes until authorities declared it 'safe' to return.

It was a pretty dang impressive badda-boom when the Fenix plant lit off right behind what looks to be a row of houses.

The very “green and clean” Ayrshire battery plant just exploded emitting literal tons of toxic emission.

The vapor clouds from batteries are toxic and flammable with metallic compounds being carried.

Must always remember that Batteries are Bombs.
pic.twitter.com/tkO1RfNQtk

— 🏔Adam O🏔 (@denverbitcoin) April 12, 2025

I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, but residents were being warned not to touch or pick up any debris that might be in their yards.

OKAY

According to the Fenix plant information, that's probably not bad advice because the recycling company is very proud of being the first - and apparently only - one of its kind in the United Kingdom to handle every sort of battery.

"Fenix Battery Recycling Ltd is the first facility in the UK to offer on-site recycling for multiple battery types from our state-of-the-art battery shredding and recycling plant in Willenhall, West Midlands. Battery recycling facilities in the Midlands and Scotland, recycling lithium ion, alkaline, nicad, portable batteries, EV, Electric vehicle batteries, Lithium primary, lead acid, compliance consultancy. Our own collection services for small box and large bulky collections, with full European coverage."

I still don't get doing it in the middle of a residential area, but that's just me, and their rules are different.

Now, I know you're going to say, 'Beege - that's just a different viw of the same fire' when you see this, but there's a catch.

It's the same battery recycling plant on fire again, but this is from LAST year. Weirdly, the plant exploded on the exact same day, a year apart.

How 'bout them apples?

Understandably, the folks who still live in those homes are pretty pissed off, and local officials who thought the plant had removed unauthorized materials and implemented fire management procedures were 'frustrated.'

And, darn, if two major explosions haven't 'reignited' (snicker) concerns about 'fire risk management.' Oh, do tell. And what's this about a revoked permit?

A significant fire broke out at a battery recycling facility in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire on 9 April 2025, exactly one year to the day after a similar incident at the same location. Six fire appliances from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) responded to the scene at the Fenix site on Byrehill Place, following reports of explosions and thick plumes of smoke.

Local residents described scenes of chaos and fear. "It is like a movie scene with all the batteries, with cables coming out," one said, noting debris strewn across the area, with visible battery fragments and cables. Emergency services promptly evacuated surrounding homes as a precaution, while Police Scotland advised the public to keep windows shut and avoid handling any debris.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported. However, the fire, characterised by multiple explosions, has reignited serious concerns about fire risk management in facilities dealing with hazardous materials. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Scottish Ambulance Service’s special operations team also attended the scene.

SEPA, which revoked the site operator’s waste management licence in 2024 due to ongoing compliance issues, confirmed it had taken watercourse samples and would continue monitoring the environmental impact. The operator had previously been instructed to remove unauthorised waste and implement fire prevention strategies by June 2025.

Local councillors voiced frustration over the recurrence of such incidents, highlighting ongoing concerns over safety in battery recycling operations.

This first fire took two full days to knock down, which meant residents had to keep windows closed, with both cars and homes buttoned up. Meanwhile, the fire chiefs were worried about what their crews were being exposed to fighting it.

...Residents have been advised to keep doors and windows closed as a precaution against smoke.

John McKenzie, Scottish secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), warned that the health and safety of fire crews was at a heightened risk due to having been on the scene for such a long period of time.

...Speaking on Tuesday, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service area commander Jim Quinn said locals should remain at home and keep windows and doors closed as a precaution.

“If travelling through smoke, motorists should keep windows closed, turn off air conditioning and keep their air vents closed,” he said.

A year later, here they go again, with thick, toxic smoke roiling across the area and battery debris landing on people's lawns. 

...Local resident Anne Marie Malcolm was about to walk her two dogs when she saw "explosions".

She told BBC Scotland News: "I just saw sparks and things flying up. It was so scary."

Ms Malcolm said the surrounding area was strewn with debris.

She added: "It is like a movie scene with all the batteries, with cables coming out."

Susannah Russell had stopped off at a McDonald's en route to Ayr with her children.

She said: "As we left the restaurant, a series of explosions began along with a dense cloud of smoke.

How was the plant still operating with a revoked license?

It turns out SEPA had given the company until June of this year to get it all straightened out.

Mewling local elected officials are, once again, 'disappointed.'

...The firm was required to remove any waste that breached the licence to another facility.

The enforcement action meant it has to meet guidelines by June, including removing fire debris, repairing damaged infrastructure and implementing a fire prevention and mitigation plan.

Local councillor Scott Davidson said he was "disappointed" that the remains of the factory were "well alight again".

Fellow councillor Todd Ferguson posted on social media: "I've repeatedly raised concerns in relation to the risks of battery recycling and storage.

"Last year a site in Kilwinning went up. Today the same site has had multiple explosions and is a raging inferno."

Classically, when it comes to wink and a nod for the Green schemes, once they have a foot in the door with elected believers, there's not much local communities can do to pry them out and away no matter how egreious their sins and lies, even as the truth about them emerges in the worst sort of fashion. 

The same company was exposed in an earlier report and had been blocked from building in England in 2022 due to its horrific reputation. But it was too late for the folks in this neighborhood, as this facility was been approved anyway by a crazy, climate cult fanatic Scottish government.

The firm behind a battery recycling plant that exploded twice in a year was refused a licence to operate in England.

The Daily Record can reveal that Fenix Battery Recycling Ltd was slammed in a report by the Environment Agency in 2022 and blocked from operating in the Midlands.

The EA – the equivalent of Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) – issued the scathing report that scuppered plans for a plant in Willenhall, near Birmingham.

The report hammered the firm and its directors, stating Fenix was not considered competent to operate the site “given its previous poor history of compliance and those of its directors, as well as reasons relating to technical competence”.

The report added: “We do not consider that the applicant will ensure the regulated facility is operated so as to comply with the conditions that would have been included in the permit for reasons relating to operator competence”.

After the company was stopped in its tracks at Willenhall, director Damian Lambkin said it would focus its attention on its new plant at Kilwinning.

But its activities there have ended in disaster, with two explosions a year apart, including one on Wednesday.

Turns out they were right.

The true believers have some answering to do, and they'd better hurry, as the company filed with liquidators over credit issues back in September.

Might not be any bones left to pick for the neighbors' clean-up fund.