A recent battery-related waste fire required fire crews to manage the blaze for ‘several hours’, a council has revealed.
In a statement last week, Uttlesford District Council confirmed that the incident took place in one of its trade waste vehicles on Wednesday 29, following a similar battery-fuelled fire less than a month before.
According to the council, the vehicle was met with ‘sustained extensive damage’ and is predicted to be written off. It also called for four fire appliances to put out the fire, with crews spending several hours attempting to contain it.
The local authority has since provided reassurance that waste crew members are safe following the incident, while confirming that those whose collection services have been disrupted will be contacted.
Cllr Neil Reeve, Uttlesford District Council’s portfolio holder with responsibility for waste collection said: ‘It is deeply frustrating, and frankly unacceptable, that yet again lithium‑ion batteries have been found to have caused this fire, despite the very clear and publicised risks. This fire was so severe that the vehicle had to be cut open for crews to reach and extinguish the source.
‘We were only fortunate that this incident was not on the public highway.’
He added: ‘This fire also took place during a heatwave, when conditions are already more volatile and the risk of fires is heightened. Incidents like this divert critical fire service resources at a time when they are urgently needed elsewhere to protect life and property.’
Furthermore, Cllr Reeve issued a plea to residents to dispose of batteries and electrical items safety to protect crews and the public.
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