Stop Throwing Car Batteries in the Trash: They Are Setting Garbage Trucks on Fire

The warning symbol on every car battery— a trash can with a diagonal line— has become real during a week of fires that damaged garbage trucks and endangered crews. Three incidents across the country in Rio Bravo, Texas; Roseville, California; and Troy, Michigan illustrate the risk. In Rio Bravo, a city truck sustained significant damage after workers dumped a container full of car batteries into the hopper. In Roseville, cameras captured lithium-ion batteries igniting inside the back of a garbage truck, prompting a public awareness push. In Troy, Michigan, a lithium-ion battery was identified among debris after the driver dumped the load to halt the flames.