Somerset Council is urging Burnham-On-Sea residents to take extra care when disposing of batteries and vapes after two recent fires were sparked by items placed incorrectly in household waste.
One blaze broke out at a Somerset recycling centre, while another began inside a waste collection vehicle after a battery ignited during a routine round.
Somerset Council is reminding householders that batteries and vapes should never be put in rubbish or recycling bins. Instead, they should be placed in small, clear plastic bags and left on top of recycling containers so crews can spot them easily.
Matthew Canning, SUEZ Contract Director for Somerset, said far too many dangerous items were ending up in the wrong place and putting staff at risk.
He warned that gas canisters can explode under pressure and damaged batteries can combust without warning, causing fires in trucks and site machinery.
He added that such incidents could lead to major damage or even injuries.
At the recycling centre incident, SUEZ staff responded quickly to a fire involving a skip, using a forklift truck to move it into the open so that fire crews could deal with it safely. Their prompt action helped reduce the risk to people on site and limit damage.
In a separate incident, a collection crew noticed smoke coming from the rear of their waste collection vehicle. After calling emergency services, they safely tipped the burning load onto the roadside, where it was extinguished and cleared.
The likely cause in both cases was an undetected battery, say crews.
Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Communities, Environment and Climate Change, said fires caused by misplaced batteries, vapes and gas canisters put people, vehicles and recycling facilities at real risk, and called on residents to take extra care when disposing of them.
“It is important that batteries are kept separate, put them in a clear bag and leave this on the top of your recycling. If you are getting rid of an items that uses batteries, such as a child’s toy, please remove the batteries where possible. When batteries are bundled with other waste they can get compacted causing them to, combust, start a fire at the waste facility or even in the trucks.”
More guidance on how to recycle batteries and vapes from home is available on the Somerset Council website.
