Battery fire warning in Northamptonshire after rise in incidents

Residents have been asked to dispose of batteries responsibly following a "sharp rise" in fires linked to waste collections.

West Northamptonshire Council said the number of such fires had increased from one in 2023-24 to 35 in 2025-26.

The increase mirrors national concern about lithium-ion batteries being placed in household waste and recycling bins, where they can be crushed or damaged during collection and processing, and then catch fire.

The Reform UK-controlled council said the fires correlated with a "huge increase" in vapes, many of which contain lithium-ion batteries, being placed into household waste.

The authority has called on residents to recycle small electrical items, including vapes, by placing them in a bag "on top of the appropriate bin or recycling sack" on collection day.

Residents in Northampton should put the bags out with their blue recycling bin, while those in Daventry should put them out with their black waste bin, the council instructed .

In the south of the county, residents can put the batteries out with either their blue or black bin.

Nigel Stansfield, the council's cabinet member for environment, recycling and waste, said: "The rise we've seen in battery-related fires is a real concern.

"We're asking everyone to help us reverse this trend by recycling batteries, vapes and small electrical items.

"Our kerbside collection service makes it easy to do the right thing, helping to keep people safe while recovering valuable materials that can be reused."

Last year, a huge fire at a recycling warehouse in Rushden was linked to a battery that had been mixed in with other waste.

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