Firefighters from London Fire Brigade (LFB) have issued a reminder of their lithium battery safety advice following a fire at a waste recycling centre on Civic Way in Ruislip yesterday, Monday 28 October.
LFB said that around 60 tonnes of mixed household waste were damaged by the fire. There were no reports of any injuries.
The fire has been recorded as accidental and the most probable cause is a lithium battery that ignited within the waste.
A LFB spokesperson said: “Lithium-ion battery fires are a major risk. We’ve seen a growing number of fires at waste disposal sites that are believed to have been caused by a lithium battery.
“Although lithium-ion battery products that have been built to a poor standard are a higher fire risk, any battery is at risk of exploding and catching fire if it has been crushed or becomes damaged. Lithium-ion battery fires can be ferocious and can spread in seconds. Fires that we attend at sites like recycling centres and scrap yards can be very time consuming for our firefighters and often require a high level of resources to put the fire out. We’ve also seen the detrimental environmental and societal impact these fires can have on local communities.
“Lithium batteries and electricals with hidden lithium-ion batteries should not be placed in the same bins as your regular rubbish or recycling. Instead, check with the retailer or your local authority’s website for the safest way to dispose of lithium-ion batteries in your area and reduce the risk of fires occurring.”
Control Officers took the call at 11:00pm and mobilised four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Northolt, Harrow and Ruislip fire stations to the scene. The fire was extinguished by 12:45am.
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