City’s rubbish trucks catch fire seven times in one month as residents warned

A major Australian city has issued a stern warning after its rubbish trucks caught fire seven times in just one month.

Supplied image show one of seven bin fires linked to battery disposal on the Gold Coast. Picture: Facebook

A major Australian city has put residents on notice after seven garbage trucks caught fire in less than a month.

Gold Coast City Council said batteries in bins were to blame for the blazes, which broke out after rubbish was loaded into the truck and compacted.

“Batteries do NOT belong in your bin. When crushed, they can spark, explode and start dangerous fires,” the council said in a post to Facebook.

Wild images of one blaze show a massive pile of flaming trash dumped in a car park, with firefighters drenching the mess in a bid to extinguish the fire.

Another image shows a stack of batteries badly burned and melted together.

The Gold Coast has seen seven bin fires in May alone. Picture: Facebook

The local council has said batteries are to blame for the blazes, and urged residents to dispose of the common item properly. Picture: Facebook

The fires result in entire loads of garbage having to be dumped on the road. Picture: Facebook

The Council also shared an image of a large burn mark on a garbage truck, with the sticker on the side of the vehicle melting away.

Queensland Fire Department Superintendent Mark Halverson told ABC even dead batteries posed a huge risk.

“Even if a battery appears to be flat, there’s almost always some amount of energy that remains within it,” he said.

”When that energy becomes exposed, there’s obviously a lot of other combustibles in the truck and plenty of oxygen, so a very good opportunity for a fire to commence.”

The Queensland government has committed millions in funding to help address the growing issue. Picture: Facebook

In February, the Queensland state government announced $2 million to fund a “bin blaze ban”, noting battery fires had more than doubled since 2020.

The funding would help increase access to battery disposal collection points, reducing fire risks to protect workers and essential waste services and educate residents about the risks of incorrectly disposed of batteries.

“Battery fires have more than doubled over the past five years, an unacceptable upward trend that simply must end,” Environment Minister Andrew Powell said at the time.

People looking to dispose of their batteries are encouraged to use a special drop off point, which can be located at bcycle.com.au.