A “stark reminder” has been issued after smoke was seen coming from a bin lorry during one of its collection rounds in Worcester.
Waste collectors were on Dent Close on Tuesday, October 13, when they noticed the smoke coming from their vehicle.
Firefighters were quickly called to the scene, where they emptied the lorry and hosed down the fire.
The vehicle was largely undamaged, suffering just a slight burn mark on its side but Worcester City Council said the collection crew and vehicle had been put at risk.
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DAMAGE: The bin lorry suffered slight burn damage after the fire (Image: Worcester City Council)
The authority has not determined the cause of the fire but said it was an item that came from a green recycling bin.
It has urged residents to avoid putting items that could be a fire risk in their bins, including batteries, vapes and electrical items.
“This incident is a stark reminder that batteries, vapes and electrical items must never be placed in your recycling bin,” a Worcester City Council spokesperson said.
CLEAN-UP: A clean-up crew cleared Dent Close after the bin lorry fire (Image: Worcester City Council)
“These items can become damaged during collection and processing, causing fires that put our crews, vehicles and waste facilities at risk.
“A huge thank you to our waste collection crew for their quick thinking and immediate actions, to the fire service for responding so promptly and bringing the incident under control, and to the Street Scene Clean Team for tidying and restoring Dent Close following the event.
“All their efforts helped ensure the safety of residents, our staff and the local area.”
