East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is urging members of the public to dispose of batteries and electrical items responsibly to prevent waste and recycling site fires following an incident in Lewes.
On 7 February 2024 we were called at 9.25pm to reports of a fire at a waste recycling site in Lewes.
4 fire engines were in attendance from Lewes, Preston Circus and Uckfield, a water carrier, and our national resilience waste fire tactical advisor.
A fire prevention plan and measures were in place to allow firefighters to assist onsite staff who effectively extinguished the fire within an hour.
There were no casualties reported and the fire was accidental.
Station Manager and National Resilience Waste Tactical Advisor Craig Williams said: ‘’This particular waste management site had effective fire prevention plans and measures in place. Thermal imaging detection was used, enabling staff to react quickly, identifying the fire before it came to the surface, preventing dangerous fire spread. This allowed our crews to assist onsite staff who were able to extinguish the fire within an hour.
We are currently in an active Primary Authority Partnership with members of the British Metals Recycling Association where we can offer fire safety advice. However, some businesses may not have such measures in place. We would encourage businesses to contact us for any queries or concerns around business fire safety compliance.
We also urge members of the public to do the right thing and dispose of electricals and batteries safely to prevent these fires occurring in the first place.’’
Disposal of batteries and electricals
Research shows there have been over 700 fires in recycling or waste lorries and recycling centres over the last year (2022/23), caused by binned batteries across the UK.
These can be loose batteries or ones hidden in electricals. Increased usage of vapes, e-cigarettes, and other devices that contain lithium-ion batteries pose a severe fire risk causing fires when punctured or damaged in the compactor of a refuse collection vehicle or during normal waste processing and sorting operations.
The impact can be devastating including causing millions of pounds of damage, disrupting waste services and, most critically, putting lives at risk either at home or to staff working in waste and recycling centres.
Batteries can cause fires if you throw them in your normal recycling or general waste bin – so it is really important to recycle them properly.
Find out more here: https://www.esfrs.org/battery-disposal
Primary Authority Scheme:
As an owner, manager or operator of a business, charity or other organisation, regulatory requirements can be daunting, confusing, and difficult to put into context for your business.
To help you comply with fire safety law, we offer Primary Authority Partnerships to provide reliable and consistent regulatory support.
You can find out more and who to contact here: https://www.esfrs.org/primary-authority-scheme#businesses-we-are-engaged-with-as-the-primary-authority-include
You can also find out more information about fire safety in businesses at https://www.esfrs.org/workplaces