Battery safety reminder following large skip fire

We are reminding people to dispose of batteries safely following a large skip fire in south Staffordshire.

We were called at 9pm on Friday 22 August to Wombourne Recycling Centre, Botterham Lane, following reports of a fire.

Three appliances attended the scene and found a skip containing electrical items well alight.

The fire was extinguished using breathing apparatus and a main jet and nobody was reported injured.

Station Manager, Sarah Smith, who attended the scene, said: “This incident was heightened by highly flammable lithium-ion batteries which had been incorrectly disposed of.

“These batteries should never be disposed of with household waste; they should be placed in dedicated battery recycling bins instead.

“Lithium-ion batteries are highly combustible and can cause significant fires when damaged.”