MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council is urging people to dispose of flammable items such as car batteries responsibly after a fire started at the Rye waste transfer station on Wednesday 11 January.
The fire was detected at 4.15pm in the section where hard waste is received but was extinguished not long after by staff and CFA volunteers.
The shire’s circular economy and waste team leader, Daniel Hinson, said no one was injured and there was no damage to property or infrastructure.
Hinson said the site was already closed to the public and while the cause of the fire has not been confirmed, it was likely to have been caused by inappropriate material being disposed, such as batteries or chemicals.
“We also recently had a fire in one of our waste trucks that was found to be caused by a car battery being disposed of incorrectly in a household recycling bin. Fortunately no one was injured,” said.
“I urge everyone in our community to be vigilant when it comes to disposing of batteries and other flammable waste. All kinds of material can cause a fire if incorrectly disposed of, including any type of battery, household chemicals and aerosol cans that are not empty.
“To find out how to correctly dispose of these items please check our waste and recycling guide, which can be found on the shire website.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 17 January 2023
