MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – When the garbage man collects your trash, you expect that to be the last you see of it, but if you’re not careful, it can cause a serious fire.
Recently a garbage truck in Marshfield caught fire after a Milwaukee tool battery was crushed inside, causing the lithium to leak out and started a chain reaction, that reaction then forced the driver to pull over and dump the load to prevent a disaster.
Deputy Chief Jody Clements with the Marshfield Fire Department said, “It can create something that we call thermal runaway, those batteries can heat up and cause a fire, and there really isn’t a way to stop that fire besides taking that battery away, and letting it burn itself out.”
Fire officials say that regular batteries like AA are perfectly safe to be thrown away, the problem is with lithium batters like the ones used in power tools.
Sarah Murray, the E-Cycle Wisconsin Coordinator with the Wisconsin DNR, said, “We’ve really seen an increase in fires in the waste and recycling industry due to batteries.”
She said that storing current batteries near each other can also be a hazard, especially if the terminals touch, saying to instead store them in Ziplock bags.
You can find a full list of battery collection sites in your area by going to the DNR”s website.
