Residents warned of battery danger after recycling lorry catches fire

Wednesday, 17 September 2025 18:24

By David Murphy

Firefighters spent five hours tackling a blaze in a recycling lorry caused by a discarded battery, sparking fresh warnings for Greater Manchester residents.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is urging households to take extra care when disposing of batteries after a recycling lorry caught fire in Partington.

The vehicle, operated by GMCA’s waste contractor SUEZ, was transporting paper and cardboard from Longley Lane in Wythenshawe when flames broke out at around 8pm on Monday, 1 September. Crews battled the fire for five hours, saving the trailer and preventing wider damage.

Investigators confirmed the blaze was started by a lithium-ion battery, likely from a vape or small electrical item wrongly placed in a recycling bin.

Nobody was injured, but officials stressed the fire could easily have been more serious. Incidents of this kind are becoming increasingly common, with 271 battery-related fires reported in Greater Manchester during 2024/25, up 39% from two years earlier. Since April this year alone, seven more cases have already been logged.

Area Manager Billy Fenwick, GMFRS Head of Prevention, said:

“It is vitally important that we correctly dispose of batteries and items containing batteries like vapes, because the consequences can be devastating if we don’t.”

Councillor Tom Ross, Greater Manchester’s lead for Waste and Recycling, added:

“The recent fire in the SUEZ vehicle is a stark reminder of the dangers that batteries pose when they are not disposed of correctly. We urge all residents to be ‘Battery Aware’ and recycle responsibly.”

Authorities are reminding residents that all batteries, including those in vapes and electrical devices, must be taken to recycling centres or retailer collection points. Items with hidden batteries should either have the battery removed before recycling or be disposed of in the electrical container at the site.

Recycle for Greater Manchester’s ongoing ‘Be Battery Aware’ campaign provides further advice, while supermarket chains and electrical retailers are legally obliged to offer take-back schemes.

With an estimated 1.6 billion batteries thrown away in the UK each year, campaigners say correct disposal is critical to preventing fires, protecting the public and reducing disruption.