Bin lorry with smouldering load gets fire engine escort

Tipping point: smouldering rubbish is hosed down – sparking reminder to Erewash residents that batteries need to be taken for recycling and not chucked in bin (Credit: EBC)

Two fire engines have escorted a bin lorry back to its Erewash depot after its load began smouldering from something in the rubbish.

The borough council’s eagle-eyed refuse crew spotted smoke so pulled over and immediately summoned help.

Firefighters decided the safest way to deal with the emergency – and potentially save the lorry – was for the truck to return to base and tip its contents out.

The convoy with one of the fire engines following behind made its way from Ilkeston to the Merlin Way depot on the edge of town.

An isolated area was found to deposit the rubbish before fire crews hosed it down. A sift through the pile then revealed – discarded batteries. These included ones in a handheld vacuum cleaner that had been binned. The drama sparked a renewed plea to residents not to dispose of them in household waste.

Cllr Mark Alfrey, who is Erewash Borough Council Lead Member for Environment, praised the quick response of local fire crews. He said: “The incident shows how casually disposing of batteries has the potential for disaster.

“Please think twice if you are tempted to chuck them in the bin. They need to be disposed of in a safe way that does not put our refuse crews at risk – such as taking them to one of the many shops and supermarkets that have special receptacles.

“This also prevents the hazardous substances that batteries contain from contaminating the environment.”