The Bermondsey fire sent thick dark grey smoke across South East London, with the blaze visible for miles as it rose over London. Social media posts placed the fire in Bermondsey and Surrey Quays, but the London Fire Brigade had not confirmed the location in the article.
Posts from Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs showed the fire raging, and one witness who passed it on the Overground train said that an entire industrial building was on fire. The smoke could be seen rising from behind the O2 Arena.
London Bridge and New Cross
Multiple reports on social media said the fire was coming from a recycling centre near Deptford, next to the railway line that runs through Bermondsey. Other posts said it was between London Bridge and New Cross, and unconfirmed reports said the blaze was tearing through the recycling centre opposite Deptford Park.
Social media videos showed what appeared to be an industrial estate beside the railway line, which fits the repeated description of a fire near the same rail corridor. Locals on social media also said this was not the first time the area had experienced a major fire, and some users linked it to a previous fire on 8 June.
Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs
The scale of the smoke made this more than a local street fire. People in Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs could see the plume, and that spread tells nearby residents and commuters to expect a wide view of the incident rather than a site hidden from the surrounding city.
The unresolved point is the exact site. The reports point toward a recycling centre in Bermondsey and Surrey Quays, but the fire service had not confirmed that location, so the practical step for anyone nearby is to treat the rail-side industrial area as the affected zone until the picture changes.
