The batteries are blamed for a number of fires over recent years.
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Quinn Gonder has lost track of how many times he’s seen it happen: fires sparked inside piles of trash by lithium ion batteries.
“Hard to count,” said the solid waste employee. “They uptick in the summer but it’s a constant threat.”
They can be smaller than a quarter, but they’ve become a huge problem in Spokane County. Firefighters and solid waste management leaders, along with Spokane County and city employees, have joined together on a new initiative called Battery Smart Spokane to prevent these dangerous fires.
A new website offers tips on how to safely buy, charge, store and toss batteries.
“I can think of at least six in the…
