Waste truck fire in Lower Hutt prompts battery warning

Hutt City Council says no one was hurt, thanks to quick thinking from the driver and firefighters. Photo / Supplied

A senior fire investigator is warning that habits around the disposal of used batteries must change, after another waste collection truck caught fire.

Hutt City Council says quick thinking from the truck driver and firefighters meant nobody was hurt after the incident on Wednesday.

Fire and Emergency NZ senior specialist fire investigator Pete Gallagher said it was difficult to pinpoint the cause of such fires, but any batteries put in the rubbish or recycling would be dangerous.

He knew of about 20 battery-related fire callouts in the past two to three years and in Auckland lithium-ion batteries were suspected to have caused 15 recycling truck fires since 2019.

"If people don't change their habits around disposing batteries, there is an increasing risk of a serious incident occurring," he told the Herald.

While the risk from lithium batteries was known, all types - such as car or normal household batteries - need to be disposed of carefully.

"Modern batteries store a lot of energy in a small package."

Councils could provide information about proper disposal and some private firms offer battery recycling or disposal services.

"For us, the big issue is making sure people are safe and batteries are disposed of
properly."