Fire incident in Mayo county town caused by 'incorrectly disposed of batteries'

The emergency services have been called to a fire incident at Golden Mile Industrial Estate in Castlebar.

The blaze, which occurred earlier today, was brought under control after a short period.

It is reported that exploding batteries caused the fire to break out in a Bourke Waste Removal Limited truck transporting recyclable products.

Vape batteries, it is understood, were incorrectly disposed of into general waste, leading to the outbreak.

The fire was preceded by a small explosion at the back of the collection vehicle.

The driver was left with no option but to tip out the burning material so it could burn safely in an open area.

The local fire-fighting was called and the environmental section at Mayo County Council was also notified.

Stanley Bourke, proprietor of Bourke Waste Removal and Recyling Limited, told The Connaught Telegraph: “This incident raises concerns about disposing of batteries properly.

"All batteries need to be recycled with hazardous waste collection and not with general or commercial recyclables as incidents of this nature can happen."