SEVENOAKS Way has reopened following a fire on the border between Orpington and Sidcup.

Two fire crews are still at the scene of the fire, which started on Saturday.

A pile of non-hazardous waste, including wood and plastic, caught fire at about 6.40pm in Cornwall Drive, Orpington.

Orpington fire station manager Terry Gooding said: “The problem is its a large pile of rubbish. The fire developed inside the pile and was burning downwards.

“We need to take the rubbish pile apart and damp it down as we go, which is a long operation.

"It’s a case of using diggers to lift bits of rubbish out at a time.

“That is what is taking the time.”

Firefighters had to limit the amount of water they put on the fire because they were concerned about letting too much run off into the lake behind the waste site.

Mr Gooding said: “We have to take consideration of the smoke and the impact on travel on the A20 but we have also had to balance it with the environmental impact on the lake behind the site.

“The environmental impact is minimal at the moment but we do not want to put too much water in the lake, which could make it a concern.”

A lane on each side of the A20 is still closed due to drifting smoke.

An investigation is underway to find out the cause of the fire.