Fire at landfill near Atascadero possibly caused by lithium-ion batteries
September 18, 2026
By JOSH FRIEDMAN
Firefighters contained a blaze at a landfill near Atascadero on Friday that may have been caused by lithium-ion batteries.
Shortly before 11 a.m., a caller reported a fire at the Chicago Grade Landfill located at 2290 Homestead Road. Firefighters arrived at the scene and found a garbage fire. Landfill staff said the blaze may have been caused by lithium-ion batteries, according to Cal Fire.
Hazmat personnel came out to the scene as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. When the fire was nearly extinguished, there was still some smoke that may have been due to burning batteries.
Firefighters worked to isolate the batteries and prevent additional ignitions. Fire personnel pulled apart the garbage pile to ensure the blaze was fully contained.
The fire response was expected to last several hours.
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