A number of schools and nurseries in south-west London have been told to shut amid a recycling plant fire that has been burning for nearly five days.
Thousands of Londoners have been urged to keep their windows shut after a large pile of domestic waste caught fire in Weir Road, Wimbledon, shortly before 10.30pm on Saturday.
In an update on Wednesday lunchtime Wandsworth Council, which has been monitoring air quality, advised seven schools and nurseries to close “on a precautionary basis”.
Those affected are Earlsfield Primary School, Beatrix Potter School, Garratt Park School, Chelsea Hall school, Tram House, Siward Road SEND Inclusion Base, and Jumping Beans Garratt Park Playgroup.
“We have been in contact with headteachers since early this morning and are working to support their pupils and parents,” said the council.
“We will continue to keep the situation under active review and provide further updates as necessary, including whether precautions should be taken at other schools.”
The council said it will make sure children eligible for free school meals can still receive food.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that schools will be able to reopen on Thursday, but recommended that buildings are well ventilated.
The fire was brought under control at 7.34am on Sunday but the LFB is still working to fully extinguish the blaze.
The LFB also advised all Wimbledon, Earlsfield and Tooting residents to shut windows and doors due to the remaining smoke from the fire.
On Wednesday morning the LFB said that “around 260 cubic metres of waste remains alight at the Wimbledon fire.
“Crews are having to systematically turn over waste and dampen it down in order to fully extinguish the fire,” said a spokesperson.
Nearby residents have complained about the air feeling "toxic" nearby on Garratt Lane, causing eye and throat irritation.
The LFB confirmed that people who are generally fit and healthy are unlikely to experience long-term health problems from temporary, low-level exposure to smoke.
But residents who need to remain in areas affected by the smoke for extended periods should stay indoors.
Evening Standard news editor Tom Davidson, who lives in Earlsfield, said: "It's been a persistent acrid smell since Sunday morning, when I first noticed it, with varying levels of severity depending on the wind.
“It's tough for those of us in flats being totally unable to have your windows open for any length of time because the smell pretty quickly becomes overwhelming."
Tooting MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan also warned residents to avoid the area near the fire.
The politician posted on X: “I know many local residents are concerned with the ongoing incident at Weir Road. I am liaising with @LondonFire and @Wandbc and continuing to monitor the situation.
“The advice remains to keep windows and doors closed and avoid the immediate area.”
An LFB spokesperson said: "Crews have been working through the night (Monday) making steady progress at the scene of this waste fire.
They remained on scene this morning (Tuesday) damping down and extinguishing deep-seated pockets of fire.
Firefighters are working to remove piles of waste to a separate site to enable them to fully extinguish the fire and this will continue into this afternoon.
"While this work is ongoing, smoke continues to be produced from the site. We request that residents living in the surrounding area, which includes in the boroughs of Wandsworth and Merton, and particularly around the Garratt Lane area, to continue to keep their windows and doors shut.
“Our scientific advisor has been monitoring air quality in the area and we have been liaising with our multi-agency partners including Wandsworth Council and Merton Council.
"Firefighters will also be out in the local area today speaking to residents and giving them advice. They will also be available to carry out home fire safety visits.
"This is a a protracted incident with our firefighters remaining on the scene today to fully extinguish this fire."
