blamed on lithium-ion battery fire

Walleys Quarry blaze blamed on lithium-ion battery fire

by with One Comment News

Investigators have found the cause of the blaze at controversial landfill site Walleys Quarry. The fire has been blamed on a lithium-ion battery fire. The Silverdale landfill had to close following the blaze temporarily.

But it reopened within days – much to the anger of campaigners. Now Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service have revealed the most likely cause of the fire.

It has triggered fresh calls for residents to properly dispose of electrical items. Lithium-ion batteries are found inside many everyday household items, including laptops, mobile phones and tablets.

Fire investigator Liam Hickey said: “The rise in the number of electrical items containing lithium-ion batteries brings significant fire risk if they are discarded at waste sites instead of being recycled. When damaged, these batteries can be dangerous to the public, waste operators and firefighters as they cause fires that are challenging to tackle. We are calling on people to make sure that they always recycle their electricals.”

To learn more about lithium-ion battery fires, including how to dispose of them properly, you can check out our complete guide on the topic HERE. This guide also includes helpful tips to help you stay safe when having these batteries in your home. Stay safe!

someone parked over the fire hydrant

Fire crews race to fire in Nuneaton but find someone parked over the fire hydrant

by with One Comment News

Fire crews raced to a 999 call to report an arson attack in Nuneaton only to find another problem. They found someone parked over the fire hydrant cover. Firefighters from the Newtown Road-based station responded to calls that a tree was on fire in Stockingford Recreation Ground earlier this afternoon (August 12th).

The flaming tree was close to fencing at the rear of some residents’ homes. But when the engines arrived to put out the flames, they found that someone parked over the fire hydrant cover plate.

Despite there being yellow markings on the road, the car was parked over the plate, meaning firefighters could not access it. Fortunately, the crews said they had enough water in the tank to put out the flames.

But they warned that the situation could have been very different had they been responding to a house fire. A post on the Nuneaton Fire Station page on Facebook urged motorists to think before they park as well as images of the blocked plate and the remains of the tree following the fire.

“Please park considerately,” it read. “Those little yellow hydrant plates you see on the pavement and in the road are there for fire engines to access water.

“This time we managed with one tank of water but things would be very difficult for us if it was a house fire.” Another post explained that, in Warwickshire, yellow paint is used to help crews identify a fire hydrant cover. “The hydrant requires a standpipe to access the water supply and a specially designed key to turn the water on,” the post read.

“Please take care not to park your car above or too close to a fire hydrant as it could be needed in an emergency at any time.”

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

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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.