An improperly disposed battery is believed responsible for a garbage truck fire on Gabriola Island on Thursday, prompting reminders on safe disposal from the RDN. (Dreamstime)

By Alex Rawnsley

smouldering garbage

Gabriola garbage truck fire highlights importance of safe battery disposal

Jun 3, 2024 | 6:06 AM

GABRIOLA ISLAND — Officials with the Regional District of Nanaimo believe an improperly disposed lithium battery is what started a smouldering fire on board a collection vehicle.

Crews from the Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department made quick work of the embers on Thursday, May 30 however the incident meant collection was interrupted for the day and left many with full bins Thursday evening.

Ben Routledge, manager of solid waste for the RDN, told NanaimoNewsNOW batteries should never go into household garbage regardless of how small they are.

“If you can imagine a compactor, both on a garbage truck like we saw [Thursday] but also at our landfill, rolling over an item like that it’s going to immediately cause it to explode and that can cause a fire and that’s the last thing we want to see happen.”

He pointed to several recycling locations on Gabriola Island and “countless” others across the RDN on Vancouver Island as better destinations for spent batteries of all sizes.

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In addition to poor disposal practices, Routledge said the batteries themselves are much more common in more items.

“We’re seeing a lot more of these types of batteries in toys for children, household appliances, yard tools and all sorts of places. Your best bet to keep yourself safe is not to put it in your garbage can and to make sure it gets back to a proper disposal location.”

Incidents like the one Thursday are potentially devastating for the RDN and local garbage collection.

Garbage collection resumed on Friday, May 31.

Routledge said even small disruptions cause significant issues.

“When we see a truck go down like this, we’re affecting roughly 750 homes per truck, per day. That service disruption, that ripple effect, is seen for quite a few days as we bring the service back online.”

A full breakdown of what items should be disposed of in a particular manner is available on the Regional District of Nanaimo’s website.

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