The court heard that the fire started just after 6am in an area of the site used to store drums of chemicals. The fire was extinguished by mid-afternoon after more than 132,000 litres of chemicals were set alight. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors believe it was caused by lithium batteries igniting nearby waste materials.

More information is available here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2009/coinw001veolia09.htm