TAMPA -- Lithium-ion batteries and other rechargeables and hazardous household waste are making Tampa's trash too hot to handle. In some cases, it's literally a "dumpster fire" situation.
Tampa's mayor, fire chief and solid waste manager joined up at a news conference Tuesday to talk about a trend in "hot loads" during the spring and summer months. Lithium-ion batteries, chemicals, propane tanks and cleaning solutions are among the items that are spontaneously catching fire inside garbage trucks. Drivers have been forced to dump loads onto the street to keep the fire from spreading inside the trucks, as happened on June 30th in the 2000 block of West Azeele Street (pictured below).
Tampa Fire Chief Barbara Tripp says lithium-ion battery fires produce toxic gases that make them extremely difficult to put out. One such fire inside a building, recently forced evacuations at an outpatient clinic of Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. So far, the solid waste department has reported three hot load fires this year. Tampa Fire Rescue has responded to more than 12-hundred trash and dumpster fires, some of which may be blamed on improper disposal of hazardous items.
Mayor Jane Castor says the city has made arrangements for residents to take batteries, electronics and chemicals to Hillsborough County sites. Locations and acceptable items may be found at this link.
Photo: City of Tampa