According to a report from WGME, a lithium-ion battery is the expected cause of a fire that erupted in a Lewiston, Maine, recycling plant Wednesday morning.
The Lewiston Fire Department (LFD) responded to the Casella Plant on River Road after crews said flames had broken out on a conveyer belt. However, LFD firefighters extinguished it quickly before it could spread to piles of recyclables close by.
Officials are now considering whether or not the flames were caused by a lithium-ion battery.
Earlier this month, officials said a truck explosion outside the Blaine House in Augusta was started by a lithium-ion battery failure. The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office said the battery was attached to a cordless drill in the rear of a pickup truck parked on Chamberlain Street.
Also, in Falmouth, a couple stated that the fire that erupted in their home recently was sparked by a lithium-ion battery in a massage gun.
Recently, federal legislation was introduced to set consumer standards for lithium-ion batteries. The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office said they are monitoring their danger and now tracking similar incidents.
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