Roseville video shows lithium-ion battery ignite in garbage truck

Authorities are warning residents not to throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash after one sparked a dangerous fire inside a Roseville garbage truck.

The City of Roseville released dramatic video showing the moment the battery ignited in the back of the truck.

First came a cloud of white smoke. Seconds later, flames.

"It's not a slow ignition process. It's very rapid," said Justin Sylvia with Sacramento Fire.

Officials said the lithium-ion battery had been thrown in the trash and was crushed inside the garbage truck, sparking the fire. It was the fourth such fire in Roseville this year.

Sacramento Fire officials say the smoke from those fires can also create a toxic gas cloud.

"Fire, chemical reaction, chain reaction, something could happen and it could produce toxic results, as well as that fire hazard," Sylvia said.

Lithium-ion batteries have also sparked fires in Sacramento. They are commonly found in laptops, e-bikes, power tools and other rechargeable devices.

Officials say warnings not to throw them into regular trash bins go beyond city limits.

"Once you see a lithium-ion battery rupture inside the back of a trash truck, the chain reaction happens so quickly and so violently that it causes that fire to expand very rapidly," Sylvia said.

It may sound like a warning people already know, but fires caused by lithium-ion batteries are rising as the devices become more common.

Many cities, including Roseville, offer free drop-off and pickup options to help residents safely dispose of dead batteries.