A truck carrying 15 tonnes of lithium ion batteries has caught alight and closed traffic on a major New South Wales highway, with disruptions expected to last for days.
The two-trailer truck was carrying about 50 batteries weighing 300kg each in its B-trailer, Fire and Rescue NSW said.
It was heading south on the Hume Highway near Yass, north of Canberra, when the fire started just after 9am on Saturday.
Crews removed the truck’s front cabin and its smaller second trailer from the scene before they caught alight, superintendent Michael Jay said.
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Firefighters cut off public access for 700m around the blaze due to the risk of a vapour cloud, leaving the major motorway closed in both directions over the subsequent six hours.
Lithium ion fires can eject various toxic gases and vapours that are a danger to people, including firefighters responding to the blaze, a state inquiry into the phenomenon heard on Monday.
Traffic was diverted to contraflow lanes through Yass. Fire and Rescue warned disruption was likely to last a number of days and advised travellers to delay any plans to move through the area.
Firefighters were likely to let the fire burn out, Jay said, as there was insufficient water to extinguish the blaze. He also said it would be difficult to capture any contaminated runoff that flowed into nearby waterways.
No confirmed injuries were reported. NSW Police said the fire was not being treated as suspicious.
Exploding batteries have been linked to three fatal incidents and countless fires in NSW. Lithium ion batteries are used in e-bikes, e-scooters and a range of electric household appliances.
Overheating and physical damage are among the main causes of battery failure.
Since 2024, Fire and Rescue NSW has referred to lithium ion batteries as the “fastest-growing fire risk” in the state, and the government has taken increasing action to regulate their handling and disposal.
