Illegal battery disposal causes two Surf Coast fires
The illegal disposal of batteries could have been catastrophic after two separate fires ignited along the Surf Coast.
Geelong
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Two Anglesea fires sparked by illegally dumped batteries have highlighted the danger of inappropriate disposal, authorities have warned.
A collection truck was diverted to Anglesea landfill under Country Fire Authority escort on
Friday after the driver noticed smoke coming from the truck’s garbage hopper.
Surf Coast Shire Council staff helped firefighters find and extinguish the source of the smoke – a smouldering battery.
A week earlier swift emergency action by council staff and CFA crews from Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and Torquay prevented a crushed battery from igniting a serious fire at the landfill.
According to authorities, a passer-by raised alarm after seeing smoke coming from the landfill. Staff used an excavator to expose the smouldering battery so CFA officers could douse it with water.
Councillor Kate Gazzard said the incidents were a reminder for people to take care with what they put in their red lid landfill bins.
“These were lucky escapes due to the quick and decisive combined response,” Ms Gazzard
said.
“We appeal to anyone sending waste to landfill via kerbside bins, skip bins or a private waste
contractor to be careful about what goes into their bins.”
Ms Gazzard said putting hazardous items, like batteries, in waste bins could cause fires in collection trucks or landfill.
“Fires can also severely disrupt operation of the landfill and Anglesea Transfer Station,” she said.
“An emergency at the landfill during operating hours would mean closure of the landfill and transfer station, resulting in interruption to residents’ kerbside bin collections.”
Response to the landfill emergency tied up six CFA trucks and crews.
The Victorian Government banned e-waste including batteries from landfills in 2019.
Householders and commercial operators can safely dispose of batteries, including car and
marine, for free at Anglesea, Lorne and Winchelsea transfer stations.
Find a full list of battery recycling locations across the Surf Coast Shire via surfcoast.vic.gov.au/Property/Waste-and-recycling
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Originally published as Illegal battery disposal causes two Surf Coast fires
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