Erda trash fire comes to firefighters, rather than the other way around

ERDA, Utah — North Tooele Fire District firefighters experienced the opposite of their usual routine Thursday, when a garbage truck driver realized his trash load was on fire and brought it straight to their Erda fire station. 

Fire district spokesman Jon Smith told KSL the cause was under investigation, but he believed a lithium ion battery in the load of trash ignited, starting the fire. 

Crews made quick work of the fire in their parking lot, and continued to monitor hot spots and put them out. The truck driver was unhurt. Firefighters also escaped injury. 

Trash fire came to firefighters

“The driver did exactly the right thing,” Smith said. He noted the driver made sure to drop his load in a safe space where it would not start a brush fire. It just happened to be where firefighters were ready to go. 

“This time, the fire came to us,” Smith said. 

Smith said the reason you should never put a lithium ion battery in your household trash is the risk of fire, explaining that the batteries are more likely to ignite under compression, such as in a garbage truck or dump. 

Many hardware and home supply stores offer recycling for batteries, but not all. The Tooele County Health Department offers guidance for how to dispose of hazardous household waste, including electronics and batteries, on their website. 

Read more: 

• E-bike battery starts fire in Salt Lake apartment, no serious injuries
• Lithium batteries as possible cause for grass fire in Morgan County
• Lithium-ion batteries likely caused two recent fires

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