FPA Announces That London Fire Brigade Eliminates Second Robot Fire For Ocado

Online supermarket - Ocado has suffered another robot fire at one of its fulfilment centers, impacting deliveries across south east England.

The fire on 16 July was caused by three robots colliding on the grid that controls the fulfilment of shopping orders at the technology firm.

Fifteen fire engines

The fulfilment centre processes over 150,000 orders a week for the joint venture between Ocado and Marks and Spencer. More than 1,000 robots move around the grid, collecting food from crates and depositing them for customer orders.     

London Fire Brigade sent fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters to the Ocado warehouse in Erith, southeast London.

Station Commander - Steve Vydelingum said: "Firefighters worked hard in hot and arduous conditions inside the warehouse. Around 800 staff evacuated before the Brigade arrived. There were no reports of any injuries.”

Interrupted delivery services

The fire interrupted delivery services, but Ocado said that the fulfilment centre was in good condition

He added that the fire was very deep-seated. Firefighters remained at the scene well into Saturday 17 July, damping down hot spots in the warehouse. In a statement, Ocado said: “The correct protocols were successfully implemented including the evacuation of the building, the activation of the sprinkler system and the presence of the London Fire Brigade.”

The fire interrupted delivery services, but Ocado said that the fulfilment centre was in good condition, adding: “While we expect some disruption to operations, we are working to restore normal service as soon as possible. We expect the facility to begin operating within the coming week.” The cause of the fire is under investigation. Reuters reported today that shares in Ocado had dropped 3 per cent.

Fire growth and development

This is not the first fire caused by robots at one of Ocado’s warehouses. In February 2019, a recharging robot caught fire and led to the complete destruction of the Andover warehouse.

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority report concluded that Ocado’s actions, including the delay between detecting the fire and calling the fire service and the decision to turn the sprinkler system off ‘were contributory factors in fire growth and development.’ The Financial Times said that the 2019 fire cost the firm £110 million excluding insurance cover and has taken the company over two years to rebuild.