Rutherford County Solid Waste is warning residents not to discard lithium-ion batteries in regular garbage.

“You should never dispose of lithium-ion batteries with your regular garbage,” said Solid Waste Director Mac Nolen. “There is a significant fire risk if you do.”

This safety message comes after a fire occurred Wednesday morning at the Rock Crusher Convenience Center site located at 3895 Shelbyville Pike.

The trash compactor on site caught fire when a discarded lithium battery powered vacuum in someone’s household trash got smashed, causing the battery to short.

“The item should have been taken to our recycle center on Haley Road,” said Nolen.

Fortunately, the fire was put out quickly with a fire extinguisher and did not cause further damage.

The Haley Road Recycling Center is the County’s only location that accepts electronics. The site is open Monday-Thursday from 7:30 am-4:30 pm and Saturday from 7:30 am-3:00 pm.