Monday morning, 7 a.m.: An ELW waste collection truck emptied its load onto the roadway on Ludwig-Wolke-Straße after employees noticed that the residual waste they had collected so far was on fire. Shortly thereafter, the fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire, which the employees had been unable to put out directly with fire extinguishers. The fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery. 

Fires in garbage trucks occur time and again in Germany because residents carelessly and negligently dispose of lithium-ion batteries in residual waste bins. Lithium-ion batteries do not belong in trash bins: The ELW urgently appeals to the residents of Wiesbaden to dispose of lithium-ion batteries at recycling centers or retail take-back points. This applies to both removed batteries and those still installed in devices. Even small batteries, power banks, and electric toothbrushes pose a significant fire hazard. 

Thanks to the quick response of the waste collection staff, the waste collection vehicle was saved from burning out, and significant property damage was prevented. After the fire was extinguished, the ELW City Cleaning Department cleared the roadway of debris and cleaned it up.