VIDEO: A spokesperson for the City of Olathe says a lithium ion battery is behind the fire that damaged one of their garbage trucks last week.
They’re saying it’s a good reminder to not put those items, like rechargeable electronics, into the trash.
At Olathe’s Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off (open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, free to residents of Johnson County, Kansas) Supervisor Grant Tarr says people need to understand risks of throwing certain things in the trash.
“Lithium poses the biggest risk because of thermal runaway,” Tarr said.
“Power tools, your computer batteries, these little guys that most people don’t think of in your key fobs and hearing aids,” he said. “One little battery for your key fob can cause a fire instantly.”
“So we’ll basically start to douse it, we’ll start to separate it to make sure we get all the heat. And it’s kind of just a slow, dirty process,” Captain Mike Hall with the Olathe Fire Department said.