Warning after 'vape battery' causes bin lorry fire

A fire service has warned people of the dangers of not properly disposing of batteries after a bin lorry caught fire.

The blaze happened on Ash Hill Crescent in Hatfield, Doncaster at about 10:10 BST, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said.

The fire was believed to have been caused by a lithium-ion battery, commonly found in vapes.

Firefighters returned to the scene 45 minutes later when the waste partially reignited in the back of the lorry. Crews found seven lithium-ion batteries among the waste, one of which had caught fire.

A spokesperson said the incident was "a reminder of how vital it is to not put batteries of any kind within your household waste".

According to data gathered by the Recycle Your Electricals campaign group, lithium-ion batteries thrown in household rubbish bins have led to hundreds of fires, with 77 of the UK's 382 local authorities reporting 242 incidents in the 12 months to April 2024.

A spokesperson for the organisation said common household batteries, including lithium-ion button batteries, should be recycled at dedicated battery collection points.

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