Firefighters in B.C.’s Fraser Valley are reminding people not to throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash after a blaze broke out at a waste transfer station. The Hope Fire Department posted about the incident online Friday, saying when crews arrived on scene at the Valley Waste Transfer Station on Ross road they found a “fully involved refuse pile.” The firefighting effort involved two local departments and required 8,000 gallons of water to be shuttled to the sight, the department said. “The cause remains under investigation, but it is quite likely a lithium‑ion battery was involved,” the post from the department said. *Please remember, household electronics and anything containing batteries should never go in regular trash. Dispose of them at a proper hazardous waste or e‑waste facility—it could prevent the next fire. In a social media post of its own, the waste transfer station thanked first responders for their quick work and reiterated the warning about batteries. “When improperly disposed of, lithium batteries can ignite and cause serious fires in collection trucks, transfer stations, and waste facilities,” the online statement said. “Please help keep our employees, first responders, and community safe by ensuring lithium batteries are recycled and disposed of properly.”
