Improperly disposed battery triggers flame jet in garbage truck in Carinthia

The truck driver immediately steered the garbage vehicle to a nearby meadow and unloaded it there to prevent greater damage to the vehicle. Through this swift intervention, further spread of the fire to the vehicle was prevented, as the fire department emergency crews determined.

Background

The fire department subsequently carried out firefighting operations on the unloaded waste pile and brought the situation under control. The "Florianis" (firefighters) expressly praised the prudent behavior of the driver, which had prevented worse.

"Als Auslöser für diesen Vorfall wird eine falsch entsorgte Batterie oder ein Akku angenommen", erklären die Polizisten abschließend. Die Beamten betonen, dass der Fall exemplarisch für die Gefahren unsachgemäß entsorgter Energiespeicher im Hausmüll sei.

The exact sequence of events is still being reconstructed by police. What is clear so far is that the flame jet occurred during compaction of the load. The affected garbage truck has been temporarily taken out of service.

Risk of batteries in residual waste

The incident throws a spotlight on the risks of improperly disposed batteries and rechargeable batteries, which repeatedly cause fires in residual waste bins. Disposal experts have been advising for years to consistently dispose of batteries, rechargeable batteries, and other energy storage devices through dedicated collection points or retail outlets.

According to police, there are currently no indications of negligent conduct or criminal liability of individual persons. The investigations into the specific origin of the triggering battery are ongoing.

Investigations and consequences

The municipality of St. Kanzian am Klopeiner See belongs to the district of Völkermarkt in Carinthia. Lake Klopein is one of Austria's most popular bathing lakes; ongoing waste collection there is also heavily frequented during the summer season.

The extent of the damage to the vehicle is currently still undetermined, as police emphasize. The affected section of the collection route could be resumed after the fire department operation.