Fire halts operations at Vilnius waste processing plant 'Ekobazė'

Operations at the waste processing company 'Ekobazė' in Vilnius were temporarily suspended on Thursday following a fire that broke out on the company's premises. The incident occurred around 10:48 AM at the Lentvario g. location, prompting an immediate response from emergency services.

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What happens very often now – spontaneous combustion occurred while shredding waste.

Marina Curko-Notkuvienė, the director of 'Ekobazė,' explained that the fire resulted from spontaneous combustion, a recurring issue in the waste processing industry. She specifically noted that approximately 98% of such incidents are currently linked to products containing lithium-ion batteries. The flames reportedly engulfed waste materials located near the shredding equipment.

Firefighters were called to the scene and managed to extinguish the blaze by 11:24 AM. Following the incident, Curko-Notkuvienė stated that the company was assessing the situation to ensure no other areas were overheating. As a precautionary measure, 'Ekobazė' announced it would not accept any new loads of waste on Thursday and intended to resume normal operations on Friday morning.

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Currently, about 98% of cases happen due to products with a lithium-ion battery.

The incident highlights the ongoing challenges in managing waste, particularly with the increasing prevalence of electronic devices containing lithium-ion batteries. These batteries pose a significant fire risk if damaged or improperly disposed of, leading to potential hazards in waste processing facilities.

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Now we are cleaning up and checking if anything else is overheating.