Batteries Warning After Second Fire at Carnaby Household Waste Recycling Site

Tuesday, 3 September 2024 10:20

By Matthew Pells

An appeal has gone out to residents in the East Riding to never place any batteries or disposable vapes in their household rubbish following a second fire at a recycling site.

A fire was sparked at Carnaby Household Waste Recycling Site, in Moor Lane, Carnaby, in the early hours of Friday (30 August). The fire alarm was triggered just before 2am.

Thankfully firefighters got the fire under control quickly and no one was hurt.

The site was able to open as normal for the public.

The fire caused minor damage to the waste transfer station side of the building, where the contents of bin collections from the area are taken.

The likely cause of the fire has been put down to a spark caused by batteries being discarded in a bin before a collection.

Now the waste and recycling team at East Riding of Yorkshire Council is reminding people to never place batteries, or anything containing them like disposable vapes, in their green or blue bins.

There are special containers at all household waste recycling sites where people can dispose of batteries, and where they can be sent for recycling.

Many shops and supermarkets, anywhere that sells batteries, also have recycling containers for batteries.

A more serious fire happened at the Carnaby Household Waste Recycling Site in August last year, which led to the centre being closed to the public for two days.

Fires at recycling sites across the country are becoming more common because of discarded batteries placed in rubbish.

All household waste recycling sites in the East Riding are managed by FCC Environment on the council's behalf.

Councillor Paul West, the council’s cabinet member for environment and transport at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:

“I want to thank firefighters for an amazing job in getting this fire under control so quickly and for preventing it from getting any worse.

“And thank you to staff at FCC Environment who were fantastic in dealing with the damage and making sure the site was safe and ready for it to reopen the same day.

“We need the public to help us prevent fires like this from happening and the best thing they can do is never to put batteries in their household rubbish or their recycling bins.”