Fire breaks out again at Oulu recycling centre after second blaze in less than a year

A recycling facility in Oulu’s Toppila industrial area caught fire for the second time in under a year on Monday evening, with thick smoke visible and smelt for kilometres, Yle reports.

The blaze at Tramel Oy’s electronics recycling site was likely caused by lithium batteries mixed in with electronic waste, according to the company’s commercial director, Harri Niukkanen. He said the batteries—some integrated into devices—had been delivered from a local collection point for processing.

This marks the second major fire at the same facility. In July 2025, a similar blaze engulfed a pile of electronic waste, spreading to nearby containers and burning for roughly three hours.

Niukkanen called for stricter sorting at collection points to reduce fire risks. “Battery-powered devices should be separated into their own bins instead of being mixed with other electronics,” he said, adding that the company is reviewing its own procedures to prevent a recurrence.

While the facility operates with valid environmental permits, the Northern Ostrobothnia Rescue Department flagged deficiencies in fire safety. Risk management chief Tomi Honkakunnas said investigators are examining how the fire started and spread, stressing that a third blaze of this scale “must not be allowed to happen.”

“The operation won’t be shut down immediately,” Honkakunnas noted, “but we’re assessing what measures are needed to improve safety.”