Penticton NewsBatteries major cause of Regional District of South Okanagan Similkameen landfill firesBatteries cause landfill firesPhoto: RDOS Batteries can cause fires when disposed of incorrectlyBe smart about disposing of batteries, as they are a major cause of fires at local landfills. The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has produced a video reminding residents about the dangers of improperly dumping lithium-ion batteries. These are the types of batteries in everyday items like toys, hearing aids, power tools and more. "Fires at RDOS landfills are on the rise," explains the informational video. Instead of dumping them, the RDOS wants residents to think about sorting the batteries out and dropping them off for free at the nearest RDOS landfill, or a participating location.