Council is warning people

Council warning issued to people after fires forced temporary closure of two HWRCs

by with No Comment News

Lincolnshire County Council is warning people that batteries and electricals cannot be discarded in general waste bins after two household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) were forced to close due to separate battery fires. 

The council stressed that batteries need to be recycled with other electricals in separate containers at HWRCs.

On 5 February a fire at the Spalding HWRC was started after a car battery was discarded into general waste. The fire was attended to by crews from Spalding and Boston fire stations and the site remained closed for several hours.

Then later in the week on 10 February a fire at Gainsborough HWRC was attended by fire crews from Gainsborough after a fire broke out in their general waste bin.

The cause of the fire was identified as a wrongly discarded AA battery and the HWRC reopened the following day.

Council Warning

Cllr Daniel McNally, executive member for waste and recycling at Lincolnshire County Council, explained: “Whether it goes into your bins at home, or to a Household Waste Recycling Centre, waste is compacted several times on its journey to its final destination, and it’s at these points where electrical items that have been disposed of incorrectly can spark and start a fire.

“These incidents at Spalding and Gainsborough are the latest in a line of fires caused by electrical items in the wrong place. We’ve seen fires in bin lorries and even at our contractors’ processing plants; it must stop.

“Putting electrical items and batteries in bins puts waste workers at risk. You’ll find recycling points for batteries and electrical items of all types and sizes at each of our household waste recycling centres. You can also recycle batteries at most supermarkets”.

Disposing properly of all electrical items is very important. We stress how key it is to follow the in-place procedures regarding this. The wrong disposal methods can be very dangerous as shown by events like this.

Nottingham Lithium-ion battery fire

Three children seriously injured in Nottingham house fire caused by Lithium-ion battery

by with No Comment News

Three children were seriously injured after a house fire in Nottingham, with one suffering from severe burns. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue has issued a statement after the incident on Monday, July 10.

Firefighters were called to the blaze shortly after 5:40pm at a property on Longford Crescent in Bulwell. Fire crews from Stockhill, Arnold and Hucknall all attended the fire.

Three children were rescued from the house by a neighbour. One of these children was left with severe burns. They were all taken to hospital by ambulance, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue said.

The fire was found to have been caused by a fault in a large Lithium-ion battery. This exploded; as many Lithium-ion battery fires do; and caused severe burn injuries to one of the children.

Beth Hayman, Fire Investigation Officer, said: “We would like to wish a speedy recovery to those injured and affected in the incident earlier this week.”

“Lithium-ion batteries can be found in everyday technology and household items such as laptops, mobile phones, e-cigarettes, e-scooters and DIY tools. If not handled and cared for correctly, can become extremely dangerous and behave in a volatile manner causing catastrophic damage and injuries.”

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service will be visiting residents around Longford Cresent on Monday, July 17 to reassure residents and offer free Safe and Well visits to check smoke alarms.

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere but how are they dangerous and what causes them to start fires? Most of the time Lithium-ion batteries are safe and will never start a fire with safe and sensible usage, but when they are used with little care, this is when they can be a danger. Here at Fireology, we stress the importance of proper use of these batteries and devices with them inside.

student block blaze

Firefighters rush to student block blaze in Coventry

by with No Comment News

Firefighters were called to a reports of a blaze at a student accommodation block in Coventry. The fire crews were dispatched to Hillman House around 1.45pm on Sunday (20th November).

The fire crews who were dispatched from Coventry and Foleshill Fire Stations were called to the flats on Corporation Street. The crews managed to get the fire under control within an hour and left the scene shortly after.

West Midlands Fire Service confirmed that the cause of the fire was a pan being left on the stove. Thankfully, the residents are said to have not been harmed in the incident.

Stories like this is why we stress prioritising fire safety in all homes and accommodations. Students are likely not educated on fire safety and different types fire extinguishers.

So for in those situations we recommend fire blankets and all firexo fire extinguishers as they do not require as much training.

Fire blankets are an excellent choice for any domestic properties as they can be used without formal training. A Firexo fire extinguisher can be used on any class of fire, so cannot be mixed up in a panic and used incorrectly.