LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Rumpke Waste and Recycling says they’re having issues with customers putting hazardous waste in their bins — specifically, batteries, which can cause serious damage.

Over the past month, Rumpke says they’ve experienced more than a dozen fires, all related to batteries. This not only poses a serious threat to the driver and the fleet, but also to the general public.

Matthew Carpenter, a route foreman at Rumpke, says one of the trucks started smoking.

“I was lucky enough to actually get it put out before it caught fire,” he said.

He says this happened because someone threw out a ton of batteries that got mixed in with the other trash.

“It creates a lot of heat, and it’ll just spark a fire. The next thing you know, if we don’t stop it in time, there’s a possibilit

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