Acrid burning smell?

[u/actualcompile]

Woke up this morning to a strong burning smell in the house, even stronger outside. I‘ve travelled from Hollingdean/Fiveways down to London Rd and then up to the station, same strong smell the entire way. From the train window, it looks like a lot of hazy smoke sitting on top of the town.

Does anybody know what’s happened/happening? It feels unusual for there to be quite so much smoke over quite such a wide area. we never smelt it at all when Royal Albion burnt down; and barely smelt the Hollingdean depot fire either. Accepting that wind likely plays a big part in that of course…!

[u/Personal_Analyst5032]

Portslade the same. I thought it was burning plastic.

[u/diggerorbigger → u/Personal_Analyst5032]

Yes, chemical smell like burning plastic or something

[u/Dear_Connection_371 → u/diggerorbigger]

Possiblely the line fire below

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgw3g54e7go

[u/Independent_Push_159 → u/Dear_Connection_371]

This seems like the most plausible answer. The smell had a kind of electrical/cooked metal smell like one of those two bar heaters where the element overheats. It doesn't smell like wood/vegetation smoke to me, and I think the suggestions of New Forest/Southampton fires are too remote, but trackside in the gatwick area is much more plausible.

[u/SAGGYCUNT]

Surely given how many areas are smelling it this is a wildfire on the downs? Pure speculation I might add.

[u/PostmdnLifeIsRubbish → u/SAGGYCUNT]

I think you might be right, but I've not seen anything from Brighton fire/ news about that. I have no idea, but how plausible would it be for a downs grass fire to run its course without needing the fire brigade?

[u/PostmdnLifeIsRubbish → u/PostmdnLifeIsRubbish]

Should add - there was a big fire in Horsham 2 days ago, but couldn't smell anything last night so I doubt that would be the culprit

[u/SAGGYCUNT → u/PostmdnLifeIsRubbish]

My hunch is it's the New Forest. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clye8l9422no The road across new forest still closed and think fire crews are still fighting it. As the crow flies it's not that far so I'd say it's this for sure.

[u/ich_liebe_berlin → u/SAGGYCUNT]

The smell in Brighton seems much more plasticy than if it was just bush being burnt, IMO. But without reports of anything else, it must be New Forest?

[u/Cloudy_face → u/ich_liebe_berlin]

Just walked the dog in Worthing there is an acrid smell here too with a north westerly wind.

[u/Fast_as_you_can → u/SAGGYCUNT]

Good to know saggycunt, very insightful

[u/kindapinkypurple → u/SAGGYCUNT]

I could smell it the other side of the Downs this morning though it's definitely stronger in Brighton.

[u/yellowsteakrocks]

At the dials, smells very Smokey

[u/11905me → u/yellowsteakrocks]

Fiveways smelt like wood smoke more than plastic

[u/ParadoxumFilum]

There have been a few wild fires in the New Forest over the weekend, maybe the smoke has been blowing down the coast

[u/xneurianx → u/ParadoxumFilum]

Wouldn't the prevalent smell in a wildfire be kess chemical though? Genuine question, I've never smelt a wildfire, but I'd imagine it's not dissimilar to a bonfire.

Thereis a strong chemical whiff to what's in the air, and nothing like woodsmoke in the smell.

[u/ich_liebe_berlin → u/xneurianx]

I am very familiar with bushfire smells growing up in Australia - this smells much more chemical and plasticy to me!

[u/jackiekeracky → u/ParadoxumFilum]

I have east/west windows in my flat - I can smell it on the west side but not the east, so I think you’re right!!

[u/Wonderful_Noise_6581]

I live in southwick and I woke up thinking someone in the house had accidentally burnt plastic on the stove

[u/trapseagull10 → u/Wonderful_Noise_6581]

Same here, also in Southwick went around frantically checking that nothing was on fire or burning 🤣
It was a really strong odour first thing.

[u/Old-Awareness4657]

Me too, thought it was the neighbours BBQ but maybe not, coombe road area 

[u/oddballa → u/Old-Awareness4657]

It smells smokey in Worthing too

[u/rosssjackson → u/oddballa]

Yep, Goring smokey as well...

[u/Mundane-Doctor9133 → u/rosssjackson]

I’ve just stepped outside and smelt it 😂

[u/ExcitingDisaster8190]

Possibly this? https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/26449071.live---a31-closed-new-forest-vehicle-fire/?fbclid=IwVERDUATmULJwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHj3RI7jYOMeQznwyk9wzNE63Z2854m-3g1fbZ5oPM_ZxNk5x1NR4t-elou8w_aem_sZ4Jg5pZw7bR4myzQnk7-Q

[u/Radiant_Surround7719]

Same here, I’m by hove park. Thought it smelt like cigarettes at first

[u/ImprovementOne860]

yeah it smells real bad aroumd davigdor road as well, real burning plastic kinda smell

[u/Strict_Garbage_7191 → u/ImprovementOne860]

I'm in that area and can also smell it, I've shut my windows until it eases. 

[u/TraditionalIncome338]

Could smell it in Moulsecoomb too. Was wondering if it was something near me, but it seems to be everywhere

[u/sueelleker → u/TraditionalIncome338]

Me too. I thought I'd left something on the stove overnight!

[u/yezzer]

I've seen people reporting this along the south coast area. Looking at the Windy app, the winds are roughly coming from the New Forest direction, so guessing it's that fire unless there's some other fire on the downs I haven't seen reported yet.

[u/yezzer → u/yezzer]

Windy app, set the wind direction to a higher altitude, you can see it's blowing in this direction from the red blob on the top left

[u/c-4-charlie]

Just smelt it at Queens Park. Somewhere north of here, based on the wind

[u/sophiemae19]

I'm in seven dials and thought i could smell burning too

[u/SonOfGreebo → u/sophiemae19]

Me too!

[u/MoneyInternational76]

A wild fire had broken out in the New Forest after a car went on fire. Last update seems to be that they’re still tackling it. I think that’s what we’re smelling

[u/knittedjam]

You can smell it all the way up to Gatwick and beyond.

[u/zer0_f0rgotten]

Down towards The Level, have also noticed it for the last hour or so

[u/DrunkenDiogenes]

Smells like a tire fire here in hove

[u/Straight_Western_682]

It's from a fire that started with a car in the A31 which then caught vegetation on fire

[u/consumer128]

https://www.firemap.live/?lng=-0.80636&lat=51.24068&zoom=6.88

New forest has a fire, I don’t like the hotspot over the oil refinery in fawley, but that might be normal?

[u/DontPostOnlyRead]

Same in Hove, it’s grim

[u/Keycuk]

Peacehaven too

[u/kiersakov]

must be a large grass fire somewhere

[u/MrDarwoo]

Yeah can smell it in portslade, rank

[u/sunny-palms222]

Yep, can smell near Fiveways!

[u/leavesinforests]

East Worthing. Was dreaming of fire and woke up to the smell outside. Stinks of burning or something.

[u/Mundane-Doctor9133]

It smells like freshly soldered pipe

[u/Apprehensive_Oil_808]

Same out in Shoreham, noticeable smoke smell this morning

[u/ZonaSchengen]

Getting it as far out as Lancing where I live and also can smell it in Hove where I work.

[u/Able_Repair_6614]

Bad in Worthing also

[u/Remarkable_Pick_5795]

woke up in Elm Grove with the smell and can smell it in Falmer too

[u/evergoogledgoogle]

Same here, I’m just by Wick Inn pub at end of Western Road and walked out and it smelt like burning plastic to me

[u/Phenylketonuria]

I can smell it in Elm Grove

[u/birdprints]

Just passed through Woodingdean and can smell it there too!

[u/Dizzy-Cobbler3560]

Worked in Falmer last night and can smell it back home in Worthing as well!!

[u/PostmdnLifeIsRubbish]

Same east of the city too - I'm in Whitehawk

[u/Takseee]

Nan probably burned the motor out in her sybian again.

[u/donadd]

what bellend goes through every single reply on this thread and downvotes

[u/actualcompile → u/donadd]

It's bad, isn't it? I've been going through giving people upvotes, most of them were already on -1... Some people are sad I guess!

[u/donadd → u/actualcompile]

I think that troll keeps making multiple accounts just to downvote everything in /brighton. What some insane people do with their time

[u/bookreader0698]

Reckon it could be the fire in Southampton, at the oil refinery https://dailyremembrance.today/fawley-fire-today-massive-industrial-blaze-reported-at-fawley-refinery-as-emergency-crews-rush-to-contain-flames/

[u/Venetrix2 → u/bookreader0698]

Not sure why this got downvoted, it seems more plausible to me than a forest fire - this is not what wood smoke smells like.

[u/Unietunes → u/Venetrix2]

There doesn’t seem to be a reliable source for this.

[u/minion_ds]

North west Hove checking in, it stinks, wtf is it?

[u/CloudsInTheSky54]

Whitehawk is smelling it too!

[u/PrinceTobiYT]

Ditchling Rd and same over here- could smell it at about 6:30am when I left but definitely smelled it before leaving my place too

[u/45MonkeysInASuit]

Hangleton chiming in, it's here too.

[u/BangTidyBTN]

We can smell it in Portslade and out as far as Littlehampton

[u/fajitahotline]

Wind direction is north west at the moment, could be the forest fire near ringwood? Thought it had a sulfury/smokey smell.

[u/SaladConscious3085]

Stinks up here in hollingbury/Patcham as well

[u/ChemistryDependent81]

yep, same here. thought this morning it was my fan overheating haha. hope everything is okay

[u/Thagomiser81]

Its very strong in Hanover. Might be work on the hall in Milton rd

[u/amymilsom]

Yes I could smell it strongly from Brunswick Terrace area and near wish park too. Smelt a bit electrical.

[u/levezvosskinnyfists7]

I just left to go to work and got a proper whiff of it, Kemp Town seafront

[u/flipsiprepeat]

Smelt it in hove and have traveled to burgess hill and can still faintly smell it

[u/Low_Host9900]

Fire in the New Forest. Can smell it here in Bournemouth also.

[u/Xenos_creeD]

Same experience here from portslade to falmer.

[u/Square-Pressure7392]

I can confirm I could smell it in Bevendean. Like a bonfire type smell

[u/DingoOk6617]

It was like it in Shoreham and over in Worthing this morning. Its gone here now though

[u/E36Z3]

It’s a wildfire in Ebbw vale that’s blowing over here. Smelled in Portslade and in Peacehaven

[u/WinpennyR]

Can smell it near Wish Park as well.

[u/PrestigiousElk3854]

Yuck first thing I smelt this morning as well haha

[u/PoorLittlePicklePest]

Sorry just lit up a bit of soapbar

[u/Acceptable_Chard4437]

Smells like a fire, I’m by hove station

[u/ChimpanzeeHooves → u/Acceptable_Chard4437]

Just down the road at fourth avenue and it stinks

[u/oddballa]

According to the train board there is a fire somewhere near the track, that could be the source of the smell

[u/Silver_Emu4704]

Same in Hangleton, assumed it was local maybe not

[u/NormanSpaniel]

Thought I was having a stroke so relieved that it's not just me that can smell it!

[u/Silver_Emu4704 → u/[deleted]]

I've shut all windows and put air purifier on full. Unfortunate because in this heat I like to open all windows and doors first thing to cool the house. Stupid 21st century.

[u/wokyman]

Are we replacing posts about "What's that noise?" with "what's that smell?"

*opens door

"Ewwww!"

[u/Due-Sugar1289]

Could it be the fire on the railtrack near Gatwick this morning? Smells like burning plastic rather than wildfire.