DANGER IN YOUR DUMPSTER: Ridgewood Firefighters Issue Urgent Warning After Laptop Battery Sets Garbage Truck on Fire!
photo courtesy of the Ridgewood Professional Firefighters FMBA Local 47
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Professional Firefighters FMBA Local 47 is sounding the alarm after a recent emergency highlights a growing public safety threat: the improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries.
On October 29, 2025, A Platoon was dispatched to a smoking garbage truck. Thanks to the quick thinking of the sanitation crew, the truck was safely moved to a vacant parking lot, preventing a potentially serious incident in a crowded or residential area.
The Culprit: Once the truck’s contents were dumped, the cause was identified: a laptop computer’s lithium-ion battery.
Fire Department personnel quickly and safely extinguished the battery and removed it. While the incident was contained, it serves as a critical warning for all residents about the dangers hidden in their everyday trash.
The Hidden Hazard: Why Li-ion Batteries Explode in Your Trash
Lithium-ion batteries are common—they power our phones, laptops, power tools, and electric vehicles. Under normal conditions, they are safe. However, when these batteries are damaged, exposed to heat, or compromised (which frequently happens in the back of a crushing garbage truck), they become extremely volatile.
The sheer force and compaction inside a sanitation vehicle can easily puncture or crush a battery, triggering a thermal runaway event—a rapid and dangerous increase in temperature that often leads to fire or explosion.
This risk is why lithium-ion batteries should NEVER be disposed of in regular trash or recycling bins!
Protect Your Community: Safe Battery Disposal is Essential
The Ridgewood Professional Firefighters urge the community to prioritize proper battery recycling to prevent these hazardous incidents, which endanger sanitation workers, fire personnel, and the public.
✅ How to Properly Recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries:
- DO NOT place batteries in curbside trash or recycling.
- VISIT: Check out Call2Recycle.org for a comprehensive list of nearby drop-off locations and recycling tips.
- SEEK Designated Centers: Look for local electronics stores, municipal waste facilities, or recycling events that specialize in hazardous waste and batteries.
- Tape the Terminals: Before recycling, it’s a good safety practice to cover the battery’s terminals with clear packing tape to prevent short circuits.
Remember: These batteries are highly dangerous once compromised. Help keep our streets and our sanitation workers safe by committing to proper disposal practices!
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Anyone capable of using a laptop should know about this by now. Who puts a laptop in the trash?