CHESAPEAKE, Va. — News 3 Chesapeake reporter Erin Holly was set to cover a story about trash truck fires on Friday after receiving a tip about these incidents occurring across the city.
Coincidentally, one broke out while Erin was interviewing a crew from the waste management division and the Chesapeake Fire Department. They headed from Greenbrier to the the intersection of McCosh Road and Rutledge Road to find a massive pile of garbage dumped on the pavement.
So, what caused the fire?
Lithium-ion batteries are oftentimes the culprit. They pose a major fire hazard as damaged batteries can spark when crushed. This prompted the garbage truck crew to dump the trash they were hauling so the fire department could come and extinguish the fire.
“They’re instructed and trained that in the event of a fire, they’re just supposed to pull up to the safest spot as possible and dump the load if necessary," Jeff Spencer, the City of Chesapeake Waste Management Administrator said.
Chesapeake Fire Department Captain Steven Bradley said this issue has become more common in the past few weeks.
"In March, I think we had 5 or 6. And we believe that most — if not all — of those are from improperly disposed of lithium ion batteries that, residents are placing into their trash bins," Bradley told Erin.
Spencer added that this is the time of year many people do spring cleaning and throw things away. He believes that could contribute to more lithium-ion batteries being improperly thrown away into trash bins.
"That's true because of people getting rid of their garage, the attics, they're doing clean outs, getting pools ready for the summer, chemicals and stuff like that. We do see more of a rise on fires at this time."
The fire captain added that the garbage truck drivers are trained to dump the burning trash in a safe place when this incident occurs; however, fires started in these vehicles could still cause significant damage.
"You really need to dispose of lithium-ion batteries at an approved recycling battery location so that can be done, you know, through SPSA or even at your local Home Depot or Lowes. They take some recycled batteries there as well," Bradley said.
Other retailers like Best Buy, Staples, and Walmart often have lithium-ion battery drop off bins.
