BY IAN CROUCH
Fire crews are working to extinguish a large rubbish pile fire at Merewether.
Newcastle Fire Command says they were called to the corner of Darling Street and Chatham Road just before 5.30am on Thursday, where the contents of a garbage truck caught alight, forcing the driver to dump the load on the roadway.
Crews from Merewether and Charlestown are tackling the 10 x 10 metre rubbish pile.
A discarded lithium battery is suspected to have caused the fire.
BY IAN CROUCH
Quick work by firefighters has prevented a possible lithium battery explosion at Merewether.
A resident of Mary Street called the local fire station at about 9.00am on Tuesday seeking expert advice after he accidentally punctured the battery while removing it from a mobile phone.
The battery was emitting an unusual odour, known as 'off-gassing', with firefighters urging the man to take it outside and wait for them to arrive.
While they were on the way, the man sought advice online which incorrectly suggested he immerse the battery in salt water, creating a potentially explosive situation.
Crews arrived and placed the battery in fresh water, which counteracted the thermal reaction.
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| Firefighters placed the battery in fresh water to prevent it from exploding in flames. Picture Fire & Rescue NSW |
BY IAN CROUCH
Fire Investigators have been called in to examine the cause of a house fire at Rutherford overnight.
Fire and Rescue crews from Rutherford and Maitland along with a Duty Commander were called to a single level home in Regiment Road just after 6.30pm on Sunday to find smoke issuing from a lounge room.
They discovered a Lithium battery had caught fire.
The blaze was quickly extinguished and was contained to the one room.
Newcastle Fire Command says no-one was injured and the fire has been referred to the Fire Investigation Unit, which looks into all fires involving Lithium batteries.
