Fire at landfill site likely caused by battery

A huge blaze at a landfill site in Staffordshire was likely caused by a battery, the fire service has said.

Flames broke out in an area of waste at Walleys Quarry in Silverdale, Newcastle-under-Lyme, at about 22:00 BST on 4 August.

Crews were at the site until the fire was extinguished two days later, with six engines tackling the blaze at its height.

An investigation had since found it was likely a battery fire and one that began accidentally, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Fire investigator Liam Hickey said lithium-ion batteries were a “significant fire risk” when discarded as waste instead of being recycled.

“When damaged, the batteries can be dangerous to the public, waste operators and firefighters as they cause fires that are challenging to tackle,” he said.

“We are calling on people to make sure that they recycle their electricals and batteries.”

The Environment Agency (EA), which attended the incident, said the fire involved an area of waste measuring about 25 cubic metres (883 cubic feet).

Walleys Quarry Ltd, which owns the site, previously apologised for the disruption the incident caused for residents living nearby.

The EA has been monitoring the site for several years amid residents’ complaints about foul odours from the landfill.

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