Warning as council workers narrowly avoid Edinburgh bin lorry lithium battery fire
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Warning as council workers prevent lithium battery fire in Edinburgh
Edinburgh council has warned residents against disposing of lithium batteries in general waste after waste workers narrowly avoided a bin lorry fire.
Members of the waste and cleansing operatives team at the City of Edinburgh Council spotted smouldering rubbish in general waste that had been collected from Polwarth area of the city.
They immediately pulled the vehicle over safely and spilled the waste out on the street where crews from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were able to extinguish it quickly.
The council’s street cleansing team then disposed of the rubbish and the vehicle was taken to be checked over.
Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, transport and environment convener, said the incident served as a warning to residents about the dangers of disposing of batteries unsafely.
He said: “I’d like to thank these colleagues for their quick actions as well as the fire service for stopping an actual fire from taking hold.
“This incident is an example of why residents must be vigilant in making sure batteries are disposed of correctly, so this doesn’t happen again.
“We’ve had several other incidents like this in the past and it’s important we highlight the potentially dangerous consequences that incorrect disposal of batteries can have for residents, the environment, and our colleagues.”
Freedom of Information data from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recorded a total of 69 lithium battery-related fires across all of Scotland for 2025—large fires at recycling plants in Aberdeen and Peterhead made national news in recent years.