Record July and August fires at MRFs highlight the “vape effect” with lithium-ion batteries driving rising risks, Fogelman’s report finds. | Photo courtesy Cocke County Fire Department
Waste and recycling facilities across the United States and Canada saw another surge in fires this summer, with July and August setting back-to-back monthly records, according Ryan Fogelman, VP of Fire Protection at Fire Rover.
Fogelman, who has tracked publicly reported facility fires since 2016, said the industry has shifted to a higher, year-round risk baseline fueled by what he calls the “vape effect,” or the growing presence of lithium-ion batteries from disposable vaping products in the waste stream.
The data he compiled show a nearly 20.6% increase in reported fires when comparing 2016-2021 with 2022-2025.
The first half of 2025 was the worst start to any year, Fogelman said. July logged 56 reported incidents, the most ever recorded in a single month, while August followed with 49, the highest total ever for that month. Those figures underscore a seasonal pattern that has changed in character, with May and June at multiyear lows for this time of year and July and August among the highest.
August’s reported fires were spread across multiple facility types. Nineteen incidents occurred at waste, paper and plastics facilities. Fourteen were at metal recycling yards. Organics operators saw seven, rubber operations four, construction and demolition sites two, electronics recycling operations two and hazardous materials operations one. Based on year-to-date numbers, Fogelman projected about 450 publicly reported incidents in the US and Canada by year-end, which would be a 5% increase over 2024.
Metal recyclers showed a modest improvement compared with last year. Reported fires at scrap yards fell 15% versus 2024, though September and October have historically run hotter for this sector, which means the final picture is not yet set. Fogelman credited wider adoption of upgraded yard-level fire protection with reducing the risk of large, smoky events that draw public attention and can shut operations.
Electronics recycling sites and organics facilities have also notched slight declines so far in 2025. Even so, counts remain elevated against long-term averages because more facilities have opened in North America, broadening the denominator and keeping incident totals high.
Fogelman’s analysis pointed to disposable vapes as a key driver. He said that the rapid growth in single-use devices has pushed more embedded lithium-ion cells into bins, trucks and in-feeds, where they can short, overheat and ignite. Evidence from the United Kingdom illustrates the challenge. A nationwide ban on single-use vapes took effect June 1, yet waste company Biffa reported a 7% rise in incorrect vape disposals across its material recovery sites in June and July, including a 24% surge at Teesside, where 232,500 now-outlawed vapes were tossed into recycling rather than taken to drop-off points.
In the US, industry groups are leaning on consumer education and convenience. The National Waste & Recycling Association’s Battery Safety Now campaign reccently revived Woodsy Owl with the message “Skip the Bin, Turn Your Batteries In,” pairing safety warnings with a locator for drop-off sites. Fogelman supported that approach and said that education and accessible collection will need to scale alongside technology at plants and transfer stations.