Discarded batteries blamed for Shrewsbury bin lorry fire

Picture: Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service

Two fire from the county town fire station went to the banks of the River Severn, at Pengrove, opposite the Quarry park, at 9.40am on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service said it was a “small fire in back of bin lorry extinguished using two sets of breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet”.

The incident was declared over at 10.34am, with the cause thought to be discarded batteries.

Dead batteries thrown away with other waste and recycling, sometimes referred to as zombie batteries, are likely to be crushed or punctured once they are collected and processed.

Some batteries can ignite or even explode when they are damaged. Once this happens, batteries can quickly set fire to other materials in the waste.

Household batteries can also be put out with normal household recycling. They should be sealed in a clear plastic bag and put the bag out with your recycling boxes, making sure it’s somewhere the collection crew will be able to see it.