Dangerous bin mistake triggers raging fire in middle of Bondi cul

It's a popular early morning spot to sit and relax, watch the sunrise and drink an expensive cup of coffee.

So you can imagine the shock of waking residents in Sydney's exclusive Bondi Beach on Tuesday when flames rose above parked cars lining a residential street a stone's throw from its world-famous foreshore.

The cause of the raging fire? Authorities suspect the blaze to be the result of a growing issue facing waste disposal teams right across Australia.

"The most likely source of ignition is from a lithium battery being crushed in the truck’s compactor," a Waverley Council spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia.

A garbage truck had moments earlier dumped its rubbish on Sir Thomas Mitchell Road shortly after 7am after detecting a fire inside before fire crews were able extinguish the fire.

Such a sight is worryingly becoming increasingly common in Australia. Last month a Perth street was filled with a giant pile of waste after a similar incident.

"We take this opportunity to remind residents and businesses that batteries should not be disposed of in household garbage bins," the spokesperson added.

Lithium-ion batteries have been on the radar of fire departments for a long time now, due to the ease in which they can ignite.

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"When they're crushed and dropped they can become very unstable and ignite with explosive force," Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry previously told the ABC. "They are an intense fire."

He told Yahoo last year there has been a spike in fires as a result of lithium batteries, coinciding with the rise in the e-bike and e-scooter market which use the batteries. Superintendent Dewberry urged people to buy reputable goods and avoid charging them for long periods of time.

Batteries can be disposed of in purpose-built bins found in most councils across the country. More information on your nearest battery recycle locations can be found here.

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