Westchester Fire: This Item Should Never Be in Your Trash

The Westchester County Department of Emergency Services has taken to Facebook once again to remind New Yorkers why this item should never be in your regular trash.

Both the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services and the Port Chester Fire Department shared stunning images of a major fire that broke out as a result of this mistake.

Fire in Port Chester, NY

The Westchester County Department of Emergency Services shared their post on Wednesday, August 21st about a blaze that broke out in Port Chester around 8am that same day.

The fire first began in the back of a garbage truck. Port Chester Fire Department shared that when they arrived to the scene of the fire, the Department of Public Works (DPW) had dumped the load of garbage in the street to prevent the entire truck from catching fire.

A nearby parked car had slightly caught fire, but the Port Chester Fire Department was able to quickly extinguish a big portion of the pile of burning trash and the car.

Cause of Garbage Fire in Port Chester

Once the fire was mostly extinguished, the Hazmat Team at the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services was requested after suspicion that an incorrectly disposed lithium ion battery may have started the fire.

This latest incident occurred just a month after the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services was on the scene at two separate house fires that were lithium ion battery related.

Read more about last month's battery fires here: Using the Wrong Chargers Proven Extremely Dangerous After 2 Westchester House Fires 

The Westchester County Department of Emergency Services confirmed in their post that a lithium ion battery, perhaps once used for a weed whacker, was discovered in the trash. Crews believe the battery ignited when the vehicle's compactor crushed it.

How to Dispose of Lithium Ion Batteries in New York

This latest incident serves as a reminder that lithium ion batteries should never be thrown away with other household trash.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these batteries can catch fire if they come in contact with each other or with other metals that may be household trash.

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Instead, the EPA recommends disposing of lithium ion batteries at a household hazardous waste collection point. The Westchester County Department of Emergency Services shared that these batteries can locally be disposed of at the Hazardous Materials Recovery Facility in Valhalla.

Outside of lithium ion batteries, there are a few other items that should never be thrown in your trash. Check 'em out here: