Be careful what you chuck: Footage reveals ‘scary’ moment a garbage truck load catches fire

“An extremely scary moment and one you hope doesn’t happen to you” — a garbage truck worker has revealed the horrors of when a load goes up in flames. WATCH THE VIDEO

BE CAREFUL what you chuck in the bin. That’s the message from garbage truck drivers after a load in recycling truck in Redlands caught fire.

Footage of the truck shows the terrifying moment the load went up in flames.

Redland City Council and waste contractor JJ’s Waste and Recycling have called for responsible hazardous waste disposal after a ‘hot load’ fire started in the metal body of a recyclable waste collection truck.

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The blaze was so intense it melted through to the outside of the metal truck body.

The fire caught in a council recycling truck at Thorneside and has raised concerns about incorrect household waste disposal.

Rubbish inside a garbage truck has gone up in flames that became so intense they melted through to the outside of the truck body.

A JJ Waste and Recycling worker said it was a terrifying emergency to be faced with.

“Experiencing a ‘hot load’ as a waste or recycling driver is not something you can plan for as you go about your day collecting household bins,” they said.

“The experience of having a fire or explosion occur in your truck is an extremely scary moment and one you hope doesn’t happen to you.

“Our training is very thorough and designed to avoid potential disaster for everyone concerned and the immediate neighbourhood.

“There’s so many things at risk when the wrong things like batteries, flares, containers of oil, petrol, gas bottles and coals from fires, to name a few, are placed in bins instead of being disposed of properly.

“As a collection vehicle driver you are immediately trying to determine a safe spot to unload and isolate the fire to avoid further damage to the vehicle, anyone’s property and most of all the driver.

“The unnecessary risk to people and property added to the potential impact on the community simply isn’t worth it.

“Do the right thing.”

Mayor Karen Williams said the council was asking residents to make sure they didn’t put dangerous or flammable material in their kerbside bins.

Footage of the moment a fire takes hold inside a garbage truck.

“Luckily last week’s fire was contained and damage to the truck, valued at nearly $500,000, was limited thanks to the quick evasive actions of the driver,” Ms Williams said.

“These incidents pose a risk to our drivers, residents and firefighters as well as causing damage to the vehicle, clean-up costs, impact on collection services and potential environmental hazards.

“Investigations into the fire are continuing, but the most common cause of ‘hot load’ fires is batteries and chemicals, and as the weather cools – hot coals from a fire.

“On average we would see one or two ‘hot loads’ a year, however, this year alone there have already been four incidents.

“Contamination in bins is a serious matter and under no circumstances should dangerous items be placed in any Council or kerbside bins,” Ms Karen Williams said.

She said there were several ways to dispose of dangerous and flammable materials through either council or other services including recycling and waste centres, which accept a range of hazardous materials.

She said flares could be disposed of at three locations in the Redlands provided by the Queensland Government, and household battery collection bins were available at Aldi stores.

What not to bin:

Material marked as toxic, hazardous, flammable or requiring caution including:

Flares

Batteries

Chemicals

Gas bottles

Butane cans

Oil

Full aerosol cans

Flammable liquids or materials

Fire embers

Lit cigarette butts