Fires caused by a binned battery or vape have been publicly reported in the UK every nine days this year, a new tracker shows.
The UK Battery Fire Tracker, which maps every reported incident in the UK, shows an 88% increase in bin lorry, recycling centre and waste site fires between 2023 and 2025.
The data found that 2026 is set to be the worst year yet, with 20 incidents recorded by early July compared to 32 in the whole of 2025.
52% of the incidents ignited in bin lorries, and vapes are the ‘single most identifiable cause’ as they are linked to 23% of incidents even 12 months after the disposable vape ban.
The data shows the East of England is the worst-hit region, with recent incidents including a fire at a Widnes recycling facility in June that destroyed 450 tonnes of waste and was declared a major incident.
The tracker, published by battery waste compliance firm CellComply, only counts fires that reached the news or a fire service report, so the true figure is likely far higher.
Research by Material Focus and the National Fire Chiefs Council estimates more than 1,200 battery fires occur in the UK waste system every year.
Commenting on the data, Elliot Blackler, Founder at CellComply, said: “Every one of these fires started with a battery or vape in the wrong bin.”
“We built the tracker because the national statistics only appear once a year, while the fires happen every week.”
“Shops and businesses that collect dead batteries and vapes are exactly where this risk builds up, and most have no idea the rules already require them to store and dispose of them safely.”