Huge fire breaks out in south east London with black smoke seen across capital

Luke Alsford | News Reporter Published August 18, 2026 8:58pm Updated August 18, 2026 9:01pm The blaze erupted at a recycling centre A massive fire has broken out in southeast London and filled the sky with black smoke. The blaze is thought to have erupted in Surrey Quays in Southwark, according to posts on social media. The fire is raging at a recycling centre, the London Fire Brigade confirmed to Metro. Thick smoke is billowing out of the area and has been spotted across London. Smoke from the recycling centre has filled the capital Passers-by in Canary Wharf, London Bridge and New Cross posted videos and pictures of blaze online. The London Fire Brigade has been contacted for comment. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, chec