WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – A WastePro truck dumped trash on a Winter Springs road after a lithium-ion battery exploded in the back of the truck and caught fire, according to Seminole County Fire officials.
Units with Seminole County Fire and Oviedo Fire responded on Tuesday to Conesus Lane, where the fire was contained to the bed of the truck and extinguished.
Video shared with News 6 via PinIt! showed the aftermath of the incident as firefighters sift through the trash dumped onto the neighborhood street.
Last year, News 6 spoke with Oliver Bond, manager of Seminole County’s Solid Waste Management Center, who said compactors in the trucks could press on batteries and “activate that thermal runaway and they can explode or set fire.”
“We always stress proper disposal and this has been becoming more and more common with these batteries,” Seminole County fire officials said in a statement.
[SEE PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Seminole County officials urge residents to safely dispose of lithium-ion batteries after fires]
Batteries can be taken to safe drop-off locations, such as Seminole County’s Central Transfer Station in Longwood.
News 6 investigators uncovered significant gaps in state battery safety regulations, leading to a new law granting the State Fire Marshal authority to regulate lithium-ion battery storage and disposal statewide.
For more details about handling, storage and disposal of lithium-ion batteries, click here.
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