On 12 April 2026, a fire involving lithium batteries occurred at the Li-ion Energy battery recycling facility at 5 Burwash Place, Maddington.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) declared a Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) incident and issued public health warnings in response to smoke and potential airborne contaminants.
Throughout the incident, residents were advised to stay inside with doors and windows closed and air conditioning off, and to stay away from smoke or fumes.
A HAZMAT Controlled and Contained was issued at 4:55pm on 21 April 2026 following the removal of hazardous materials from the site.
The scene was declared safe and handed back to the business owner on 22 April 2026.
A small fire subsequently occurred on 4 June 2026, involving two batteries that remained onsite following the April incident. The fire was extinguished quickly, with no extended emergency response required.
Throughout DFES’ response to the initial fire and subsequent flare-up, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the Department) provided extensive support to DFES, consistent with the roles of both agencies under the State Hazard Plan – HAZMAT.
From 12 April 2026, representatives from State Government agencies attended the Maddington site on a regular basis to conduct inspections, assess risks, liaise with Li-ion Energy and gather evidence and information to inform the State Government’s response.
Guided by expert advice from the cross-agency HAZMAT Emergency Advisory Team established during the incident, fire-affected battery waste was relocated from the Maddington site to a temporary storage facility in Wattleup while long-term management and disposal solutions were developed.
As the lead agency, the Department coordinated the whole-of-government response and oversaw arrangements for the long-term disposal of fire-affected battery materials, contaminated soil and fire debris resulting from the incident.
While the State Government played an active role in managing the response, businesses remain responsible for ensuring they have appropriate arrangements in place for materials they receive and process.
The State Government has safely relocated the materials affected by the lithium battery fire for final disposal.
The Department coordinated a multi-agency operation to remove fire-affected batteries, contaminated soil and fire debris from the Maddington site and Wattleup temporary storage facility for final disposal at the Intractable Waste Disposal Facility in Mt Walton, 475 km north-east of Perth.
Throughout the operation, community safety, worker safety and environmental protection remained the highest priorities.
The Department is continuing to liaise with the site owner on further investigations regarding any potential residual contamination from the leftover waste at the site.
Investigations into the incident are also ongoing to determine whether any breaches of relevant legislation have occurred. Subject to the outcomes of these investigations, agencies may take further enforcement action.
The Department will continue to monitor the situation and keep the community informed of any significant developments through this page.
Further information on the State Government’s response will be provided via updates to this page.
For public health information in relation to the incident, please see the Department of Health’s Public health advice – Maddington lithium fire web page.
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If you believe you are experiencing health impacts related to an incident, please contact:
If you believe a situation is an emergency, call 000.
