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St. Johns County Fire Rescue warns residents to properly dispose of lithium‑ion batteries
Summary
Chris Nap, public information officer with St. Johns County Fire Rescue, warned at Tilman Ridge Transfer Station that lithium‑ion batteries can ignite inside trash trucks and urged residents to take them to household waste recycling facilities rather than place them in curbside trash or recycling.
Chris Nap, public information officer with St. Johns County Fire Rescue, told residents at Tilman Ridge Transfer Station that lithium‑ion batteries can cause fires and should not be put in curbside trash or curbside recycling.
"Did you know lithium ion batteries can cause fires?" Nap asked, opening the briefing and identifying himself and the location. He said the batteries are rechargeable cells commonly found in power tools, computers and e‑cigarettes.
Nap said the primary hazard occurs when batteries are damaged by heat and compaction inside trash trucks. "These fires are caused by heat and compaction inside the trash truck, which is not only a danger to us, but also a danger to the drivers," he said, noting that compression can damage cells and ignite fires.
He advised residents to avoid placing these batteries in household trash or curbside recycling and to take them to a household waste recycling facility for proper disposal. "So, in short, make sure you're properly disposing of your lithium‑ion batteries," Nap said.
The announcement was informational; no policy action or vote was discussed. Residents seeking to dispose of rechargeable batteries were directed to use household waste recycling facilities such as the Tilman Ridge Transfer Station.
