Lithium-Ion batteries, tossed into the bin, are believed to have been the cause of a garbage truck fire at Hamlyn Terrace on the Central Coast this week.
The truck caught alight just before 2pm on Wednesday, forcing the driver to dump the burning rubbish by the side of Sparks Road.
Fire & Rescue crews rushed to the scene just as aerosol cans and other refuse started to explode.
The flames then began to spread from the pile of trash to a strip of grass which backed onto a row of houses, with firefighters attacking the blaze with two lines of hose to prevent it threatening the neighboring properties.
Crews then turned their attention to the source, hitting the burning garbage with compressed air foam.
The local council then brought in a backhoe to disperse the rubbish and allow the fire to be completely extinguished.
Firefighters then examined the smouldering mess and uncovered Lithium-Ion battery-powered items including a robot vacuum cleaner, a mobile phone and children’s toys.
The discovery led crews to suspect the cells had gone into thermal runaway when compacted by the garbage truck, sparking the fire or intensifying it.
Thermal runaway can occur when Lithium-Ion batteries are compromised or damaged.
When the cells overheat they can set off a chain reaction, releasing toxic gases before exploding in flames.
The incident has prompted another warning to households and businesses not to throw Lithium-Ion batteries out in the rubbish, but to instead take them to an approved recycling centre for disposal.