Fire officials issue warning after Sturbridge garbage truck fire

STURBRIDGE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The Sturbridge Fire Department sharing new info about a fire they responded to in a garbage truck on Friday.

Officials said the fire started when the truck compacted a lithium ion battery, which caused a phenomenon known as thermal runaway. It’s when the battery began to ‘off-gas’ and produce a massive amount of heat and causes it to ignite. Fire crews said the incident was reported quickly and the fire was extinguished before it could grow.

Now, they’re warning people to not throw out lithium ion battery devices, but rather bring them to your local dump as hazardous material or follow the manufacturer’s instructions.