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RICHFIELD — A southbound semitrailer hauling a large lithium battery tipped over while turning into the Flying J gas station in Richfield on Saturday, police said.
The truck tipped about 9:20 a.m., which presented a public safety emergency due to the battery's extreme fire hazard, a post on the Richfield Police Department's Facebook says.
Lithium batteries have a flammable electrolyte, which combines with oxygen generated in the battery and heat to lead to "thermal runaway," where a chain reaction causes the battery to catch fire and release toxic gas, with a potential for an explosion, according to researchers.
This summer, Utah first responders have seen instances of electric bike batteries overheat and catch fire, leading some departments like West Jordan to invest in specialized battery fire blankets.
Even a small e-cigarette battery was caught on video exploding in an Ogden Arcade in March.
Recognizing the risk, responders blocked up the area until they were about to remove the shipping container-sized battery, weighing 77,000 pounds, from Main Street, "a very complex process due to the extreme weight," according to the release.
The task was accomplished by 2 p.m., and Main Street reopened, while the Flying J gas station remained partially closed while they waited for another trailer to haul the battery out.
The Richfield Police Department declined to say if there were any injuries in the spill and how long it may take to remove the battery from the gas station.
