Phone battery blamed for huge blaze
AN INVESTIGATION into a major recycling centre fire – which caused millions of pounds worth of damage – has concluded there is “strong evidence” that a mobile phone battery was the most likely cause.
It is believed the lithium-ion style battery was disposed of incorrectly in a blue recycling bag for kerbside collection and taken to Carmarthen’s Nantycaws Recycling Centre.
The blaze broke out at around 3pm on Saturday, April 24, and fire crews scrambled to the scene at the recycling centre’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) off the A48, five miles east of Carmarthen.
The MRF was a large shed containing 400 tonnes of waste, and the fire quickly sent plumes of black smoke into the air which were visible for miles. At least eight fire engines were sent, as well as specialist equipment.
Almost 24 hours later, five crews s continued to tackle the fire and residents idents were told to shut windows and doors. ors.
Crews remained in attendance around the clock for three days.
The recycling centre was then forced to close to the public for five days as the clean up and full investigation got under way.
Cwm Environmental Ltd which runs the site, worked closely with Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Carmarthenshire Council and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service in the aftermath of the fire.
Now six months after the fire, following the investigation, Carmarthenshire council has said a lithium-ion battery from a mobile phone was the likely cause and is urging people not to dispose of batteries of any kind in blue or blag bags as part of their weekly refuse collections.
In a statement Carmarthenshire Council said: “Strong evidence suggests that a fire in Carmarthen’s Nantycaws Recycling Centre last April, which caused millions of pounds of damage, may have been started by a battery that was disposed of in a blue recycling bag.
“Batteries should be removed from any items that contain them, such as rechargeable items, mobile phones, electric toothbrushes, toys, television remotes etc and then disposed of separately at a recycling centre or local battery recycling point. Batteries that are difficult to remove from items can be recycled at the electrical bay at the recycling centre.”
In the last five years across the UK, fires suspected or proved of being caused by Lithium-ion batteries have more than doubled with 48% in 2021 compared to 21% in 2016/2017.
The council said the most common inappropriate items within bin bags presented for kerbside collection by residents include electrical waste such as toasters children’s toys, hair styling equipment, separate old batteries ranging from standard cell batteries to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and mobile devices.
Carmarthenshire Council’s cabinet member for environment, Cllr Hazel Evans said: “Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire at the Carmarthen Recycling Centre.”
Advising residents she added: “Please do not put loose dead batteries or items that hold batteries in your bin bags with other rubbish, it is extremely dangerous and the consequences can be very serious.
“All our recycling centres have facilities to dispose of your batteries safely as well as many shops and supermarkets that have battery collection points.”