Ridgewood, N.J. — October 29 — A platoon of firefighters responded Wednesday morning to a report of smoke coming from the rear trash compartment of a garbage truck. The sanitation crew moved the truck to an empty parking lot. This action helped prevent potential traffic issues and reduced risks to nearby homes and businesses.

After firefighters opened the compartment and emptied the load, they discovered that the smoke came from the lithium-ion battery of a discarded laptop computer. Crews put out the battery, secured the debris, and made sure there was no remaining heat or danger before leaving the scene.

The incident highlights an ongoing issue. Departments in the area are receiving more calls about damaged or improperly discarded lithium-ion batteries. Fire officials pointed out that these batteries should not go in regular household trash. While they are safe under normal use, they can enter thermal runaway and cause smoke or fire if crushed, overheated, or damaged.