FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA)— Lithium batteries are becoming a hidden fire hazard in Fort Wayne, and local waste facilities say these preventable fires are happening far too often.
GFL Environmental Inc. recycling commodity coordinator Jake Stevens says they see fires sparked by improperly disposed lithium batteries at least once a month.
Stevens says the fires typically start when batteries are crushed inside garbage trucks or compacted on the tip floor at the waste facility.
To fight back, Stevens says GFL has installed an infrared detection system that monitors the facility around the clock.
Stevens says if heat is detected in the waste, automatic extinguishers are triggered, and a third-party…
