Rockdale rubbish tip fire may have been lit by lithium battery

A fire at a south Sydney rubbish tip is now under control but the waste company who operates the site has suggested a possible reason why the blaze may have ignited.

A fire which ignited at a rubbish depot in Sydney’s south on Saturday is under control but not yet out, with the waste company who operates the site revealing what may have sparked the blaze.

The large blaze ignited about 8:29am at a garbage depot known as the Cleanaway

Rockdale Resource Recovery Centre, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky.
Around 25 firefighting appliances including trucks and about 100 firefighters raced to the scene at Lindsay St on Saturday, fighting hard to bring the flames under control for several hours.

By 1:30pm, crews had contained the fire, using an excavator to sift through the garbage and stop the flames from spreading.

An emergency warning for nearby residents remains current as hazmat crews assess the scene, with locals advised to remain indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and avoid the areas of West Botany St, Lindsay Ave and Rockdale Plaza Dr.

NSW Fire and Rescue put out a fire at the Cleanaway Resource Recovery Centre at Rockdale in Sydney this morning. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Firefighters come in troves to a large fire in Rockdale this morning which is currently being investigated. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Earlier, a Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman said the burning rubbish was proving difficult for firefighters to extinguish.
“It’s a hard slog, because our firefighters have to wear (protective equipment) which is heavy and hot and we’ve got to use machinery,” the spokesman said.

“So it’s just going to be a protracted incident because of the sheer labour that we’ve got to do.”
The spokesman said incident would likely continue for several hours.

A pile of debris from the mammoth fire at Cleanaway Resource Recovery Centre in Rockdale, Sydney this morning. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

NSW Fire and Rescue gather to try and put out the fire at the Cleanaway Resource Recovery Centre in Rockdale this morning. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The cause of the fire is still being investigated but is not thought to be suspicious.
A spokesman for Cleanaway said the fire at the site had broken outside inside a warehouse, but no employees had been hurt.

“At the moment, the fire is under control but there will be some structural damage to the building,” the spokesperson said on Saturday.

“There were no injuries to staff or the community...(but) we will be working with authorities to determine the cause of the fire.”

The fire at Cleanaway Resource Recovery Centre is not being treated as suspicious. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Hundreds of firefighters attempt to combat the blaze in an effort to keep the flames from spreading to a number of local businesses opposite the site. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Cleanaway workers were in the process of bulldozing waste piles when the fire broke out.
The spokesperson said that lithium batteries were a common cause of fires at garbage dump sites if they aren’t disposed of properly.

“(The workers) tried to put it out but (the fire) became out of control and then they evacuated and called the fire brigade,” the Cleanaway spokesperson said.

“Lithium batteries once they get compounded, they sort of corrode and they ignite...

we will have to work with authorities to determine the cause of the fire, but I can tell you 90 per cent of the time, it’s a lithium battery.”