Lewiston firefighters extinguish a fire Wednesday morning at the Casella Waste Systems sorting facility at 424 River Road in Lewiston where a conveyor belt system was heavily damaged. The Fire Department said it could not determine the exact cause but it may have been improper disposal of materials, such as lithium-ion batteries. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — A small fire at the Casella Waste Systems sorting facility at 424 River Road on Wednesday morning heavily damaged a conveyor belt system and may have been caused by lithium-ion batteries, according to investigators.

There were no injuries and employees were out of the building and accounted for when the Lewiston Fire Department crews arrived.

Casella leases the facility from Lewiston Public Works, which operates the solid waste facility next door, according to a Public Works employee.

According to the Lewiston Fire Department, the fire originated in the tipping floor area and spread to a conveyor belt system that leads to sorting equipment. Employees reported the fire and shut down the conveyor belt before leaving the building, preventing the fire from spreading to other areas.

There was substantial damage to the conveyor belt system, which will not be operational until repairs are made, the department said.

A statement from Casella said damage to the facility was minimal.

Smoke from a fire inside the Casella Waste Systems sorting facility Wednesday morning is visible from the Lewiston Public Works Department next door on River Road. The fire heavily damaged a conveyor belt system and may have been caused by improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries, fire officials said. Christopher Wheelock/Sun Journal

The department said it was unable to determine the exact cause of the fire, but that it may have been from improper disposal of materials, such as lithium-ion batteries, creating an exothermic reaction.

A Casella employee, who was not authorized to speak to the media, told the Sun Journal at the scene that the cause was a discarded lithium battery and that it was the fourth fire caused by lithium batteries at that facility in the past month. He said workers had managed to extinguish three of the small fires previously but this one got on one of the conveyor belts, setting off the emergency.

Casella did not mention other fires at the facility in its statement, but offered, “the waste and recycling industry experienced nearly 400 reported facility fires confirmed to be caused by lithium batteries in 2022.”

Casella said that while there is no official determination for the cause of the fire, “it does shine a light on the dangers that waste and recycling workers face each day, many of which are avoidable.” The statement added, “One of the most common causes of fires like this is the improper disposal of lithium batteries in household trash and recycling.”

Consumers are reminded that batteries and items containing batteries do not belong in household waste or recycling receptacles. Instead they should be recycled at a drop-off location or another certified service. For more information, including certified drop-off locations, visit www.call2recycle.org.

Employees of Casella Waste Systems wait Wednesday morning outside the sorting facility after a fire erupted in the building at 424 River Road in Lewiston. There were no injuries. The exact cause was not determined but it may have been from improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries, Lewiston fire officials said. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal