What started as a routine Friday pickup in Prospect Lefferts Gardens turned into a street‑side emergency when a Department of Sanitation garbage truck suddenly went up in flames just after noon.
The truck caught fire shortly after 12 p.m. on Dearborn Court near Montgomery Street, sending neighbors scrambling as firefighters rushed in and began dragging burning trash into the roadway to douse it. Two sanitation workers were injured and taken to Staten Island University Hospital - North for treatment.
In a statement to News 12 New York, a DSNY spokesperson said the blaze was “likely caused by a lithium battery” that exploded while the truck compacted its load. The FDNY confirmed to the outlet that crews responded and that both workers were transported with moderate injuries to Staten Island University Hospital - North.
A nearby resident told the station she watched one worker walk toward an ambulance with burned arm and facial hair, though he appeared to be receiving care from first responders.
Why lithium batteries are risky in trash trucks
Officials have been sounding the alarm about this kind of thing for a while. Rechargeable lithium‑ion batteries can ignite if they are punctured, crushed or otherwise damaged during compaction, creating intense heat that spreads fast in a confined space like a garbage truck.
The Department of Sanitation notes it is both illegal and dangerous to toss rechargeable batteries in regular trash or recycling. Instead, the agency directs New Yorkers to the city's battery disposal page for proper drop‑off locations and step‑by‑step guidance.
DSNY also runs SAFE disposal events and borough drop‑off sites where residents can unload hazardous household items without risking a street fire or a truck explosion.
FDNY warnings and city response
The Fire Department has been equally blunt. On its lithium‑ion safety page, FDNY warns that a malfunctioning or uncertified battery “can explode charging or not,” and that the resulting fire is notoriously tough to put out.
FDNY guidance urges New Yorkers to charge and store batteries away from exits and flammable materials, and to report unsafe battery storage or disposal. City agencies, for their part, have expanded retailer take‑back and trade‑in programs designed to keep dangerous batteries out of curbside trash and recycling trucks entirely.
Where to take old batteries and what neighbors can do
A downtown truck inferno in April, also tied to lithium batteries, underscored what officials now describe as a troubling pattern of battery‑linked blazes across Brooklyn.
To cut down on the risk, DSNY recommends taping battery terminals before disposal or bringing devices to SAFE events, retailer take‑back programs or the city's drop‑off sites listed on the battery disposal page.
If you spot smoldering trash or suspect a dangerous battery situation, officials urge you to call 911 and report the location to 311 so sanitation crews and firefighters can move in quickly, hopefully before another garbage truck turns into an unintended fire show.
