JACKSON, Wyo. — A truck caught fire July 17 at the Teton County Trash Transfer Station and while the official cause is still pending, the fire was likely caused by a lithium battery that was put in the trash, according to Brenda Ashworth, superintendent of Teton County Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling (ISWR).
The fire occurred at about 11 a.m., and according to Ashworth, the quick action by the operators at the Transfer Station and Jackson Hole Fire/EMS kept the fire contained to the truck. No injuries were reported and no structural damage occurred at the Transfer Station.
“This isn’t the first fire at the Transfer Station from a lithium battery and likely won’t be the last.”
Brenda Ashworth, superintendent of ISWR.
“The community can help prevent fires at the Transfer Station and Compost operations by understanding the flammable and combustible nature of the material we handle,” Ashworth wrote in an email to Buckrail. “Our separation policies are in place to prevent these types of incidents. Batteries should be brought to the Recycling Center for processing.”
Lithium and lithium-ion batteries are in almost every electronic device, including rechargeable game controllers, smartphones, electric bikes and vehicles, tablets, laptops and smartwatches. When damaged, mishandled or disposed of improperly, these batteries pose a fire risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 25,000 fires from lithium-ion batteries in a five-year period.
Ashworth said damage to the truck has not been thoroughly evaluated at this time but it appears to be limited.
“This isn’t the first fire at the Transfer Station from a lithium battery and likely won’t be the last,” Ashworth said.
Lithium batteries have been responsible for a handful of fires in the Jackson area, starting with two in 2018, and were most likely the culprit in the 2020 trash truck fire at the Teton County Trash Transfer Station and the West Thumb Geyser Basin closure in 2022.
Batteries or devices that contain lithium batteries can be disposed of at the Teton County Recycling Center at 3270 S. Adams Canyon Dr. Electronics and lithium batteries are accepted Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Alkaline batteries can be dropped off 24/7 in bins at the front entrance. Please notify a recycling staff member when delivering a damaged battery.
