General News
19 January, 2023
Rubbish truck fire prompts waste reminder
Residents are being cautioned not to put hot items in the rubbish bin, after the back of a collection truck began smouldering in Avoca on Wednesday. The Avoca Fire Brigade were called to Vinoca Road near the Avoca Public Park at around 10.30 am...
Residents are being cautioned not to put hot items in the rubbish bin, after the back of a collection truck began smouldering in Avoca on Wednesday.
The Avoca Fire Brigade were called to Vinoca Road near the Avoca Public Park at around 10.30 am Wednesday to reports of a truck on fire.
Upon arrival, Avoca Fire Brigade Second Lieutenant Robin Porter said there were no visible flames coming from the back of the truck, with the driver escorted to the tip in Russell Street.
“When we got on scene at the footy oval we found nothing but could smell something was burning,” he said.
“I spoke to the driver and told him to come up to the tip and dump the rubbish out so we could go through it.
“When it was dumped, one end of the rubbish pile was smoldering and we’re not 100 percent sure what it was, but believe it could have been a battery.”
The brigade used a thermal imaging camera to determine the location of the smoldering rubbish and checked the remainder of the pile for any hot spots.
While the incident was minor, 2nd Lt Porter said it could have been worse — encouraging residents to be aware of what they put in the rubbish bin.
“This is a good reminder to the community not to put anything that’s hot or smoldering in their bin, but the battery could have also shorted out,” he said.
“This could have been a lot worse.”
Batteries can no longer be dumped in rubbish bins and must be deposited in an E-waste bin, available across the community.