Ocado Warehouse Fire (2019)

In February 2019, a significant fire occurred at an Ocado automated warehouse in Andover, Hampshire. The warehouse was part of Ocado's high-tech distribution network and featured robotic systems for order fulfillment. The fire proved to be a complex and challenging incident for firefighters due to the warehouse's automation and storage systems.

The incident raised questions about fire safety in modern, automated warehouses. The presence of lithium-ion batteries in the robots and the design of the facility's storage racks complicated firefighting efforts. Firefighters had to work for days to fully extinguish the blaze, which caused substantial damage to the facility.