Major Fire at Waste Processing Plant in Heinola Linked to Lithium Batteries, Second Incident in Four Months

A severe fire has erupted at a waste processing plant on Kuusakoskentie in Heinola, prompting emergency response efforts and a hazard warning for the surrounding area. The blaze, which broke out shortly before 11 PM, involves hundreds of cubic-meter-sized containers containing electronic waste, including electrical equipment and lithium batteries, according to the Päijät-Häme Rescue Department (Yle; MTV Uutiset). Yle reports that batteries and accumulators are the most common cause of fires in waste processing plants worldwide, and the likely cause of this incident—as well as a previous fire at the same facility in April—was ignition from a lithium battery.