15 Jan Trash station fire prompts battery safety reminder
A fire at the Teton County Trash Transfer Station on January 14 was likely caused by loose batteries and a battery-operated children’s toy, prompting officials to remind residents of the need to dispose of batteries safely.
It was the second trash fire caused by batteries in recent weeks, according to Samantha Lee, Solid Waste Manager.
“We are grateful everyone is safe, and we are also very impressed by the quick, professional response by the hauling company and Trash Transfer Station staff to extinguish the fire before it became worse,” Lee said.
At around 9:45 a.m., staff from Teton Trash Removal, a hauling company, and Yellow Iron Excavating and Waste Removal, the company that operates the county’s trash transfer building, rapidly extinguished a flaming and smoking compactor-truck load of household trash. The Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Department also responded rapidly to provide assistance at the Trash Transfer Station, located south of Jackson on U.S. Highway 89.
A review of the debris indicated the fire was most likely caused by improperly discarded batteries, including a battery-powered light-up toddler toy that still contained its power source, county officials said.
“In addition to reminding residents that batteries should never be disposed of in the trash in Teton County,” Lee said, “we also want to remind people to double-check anything that takes batteries for power before throwing it away. This includes remotes, pens with flashlights, camping lamps and all other battery-powered devices.”
With the increasing prevalence of lithium-ion batteries in recent years, the number of waste fires and recycling center fires across the country has grown significantly, with thousands of blazes linked to batteries. But while lithium batteries are one of the biggest offenders, traditional alkaline batteries are also risky.
On Dec.10, another local trash truck caught fire, with standard double-A and triple-A batteries to blame. In that incident, the driver of the truck was loading waste when he could feel an explosion in the compactor, and smoke started billowing from the truck. The driver returned to the truck yard, where water was run into the trash load to dowse the fire. Once it was safe to examine the debris, officials found handfuls of small batteries plus a large quantity of television remote controls with the batteries still in them, probably the result of a hotel clean-out.
What to do with old batteries
For both environmental and fire safety reasons, batteries should not be disposed of in the trash, county officials said.
Household batteries of all types – including alkaline, rechargeable and lead-acid car batteries – are accepted year-round at the Teton County Recycling Center during regular business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 3270 S. Adam’s Canyon Drive.
Large lithium batteries, such as those used in e-bikes and electric vehicles are not accepted and should be returned to the manufacturer or retailer where the product was purchased.
For more information, call Teton County Integrated Solid Waste & Recycling at (307) 733-SORT.
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