Hillsborough County warns of rising garbage truck fires linked to improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County waste officials are expanding public education programs to prevent dangerous garbage truck fires caused by improperly discarded lithium-ion batteries.

Battery fire dangers

The backstory:

Lithium-ion batteries found in devices like cellphones, power tools and smartwatches are the leading cause of fires in the waste industry. 

Hillsborough County solid waste project manager Daniel Gallagher said that the county has seen 30 truck fires in the past few years, including 13 last year and five so far this year.

When fires ignite, drivers must quickly eject the burning trash loads onto the ground to save the trucks and protect themselves. Gallagher said your help in preventing those fires starts at home.

"Before you put something in the trash, does it belong in the trash? Does it belong in the recycling bin? Because it’s not just lithium-ion batteries, it could be hazardous chemicals or something like that," said Gallagher.

Progress on collection

By the numbers:

The county’s education campaign on lithium-ion batteries has shown measurable success since October. 

Workers normally fill eight collection drums with batteries over a six-month span, but the total recently rose to 15 drums.

Household fire risks

Dig deeper:

The battery threat also impacts houses and apartments. 

Dunedin Fire Rescue crews responded to a mobile home fire on Tuesday morning after several e-bikes and scooters caught fire in a carport.

Batteries can swell and catch fire next to flammable items if people leave any lithium-ion battery product plugged into chargers for too long.

Proper disposal rules

What you can do:

Residents should place tape over the ends of battery terminals or separate them into sealed plastic bags before transporting them to a drop-off location or a participating store to ensure they do not short-circuit. 

If a battery cannot be easily removed from a device, Hillsborough County advises people not to dismantle it or take it apart. 

The county accepts full electronics at its facilities, but workers do not accept electric vehicle batteries.

"We do not take those. We do see them from time to time, but we have resources that we offer to try to redirect them," said Gallagher.

Disposal Sites

What's next:

Residents can view local county websites to look up the closest disposal locations. Hillsborough County has five disposal sites, which can be found here.

Anyone can also find local retail battery drop-off sites at The Battery Network. 

Hillsborough CountyFire