April 22, 2022 7.00 pm This story is over 23 months old

Bin lorry fire prompts council warning over electrical items

Fire caused by electrical appliance put in household waste bin
The remains of the electrical item that caught fire. | Photo: Boston Borough Council

A fire in the back of a refuse lorry in Boston on Friday morning has prompted a warning from the local council to not put batteries or electrical items in household waste bins.

Crew members noticed the fire during the morning of April 22, which was immediately extinguished and Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue were called out for safety reasons.

This then caused further delays at the transfer station to check the remainder of the load was safe to be unloaded.

The fire was caused by an electrical household appliance which was placed in a resident’s green household waste bin.

Dan Moss, area manager for prevention and protection at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said: “Batteries and electrical items can be a fire hazard, especially when they are compacted and damaged when mixed in with household waste.

“The spark can ignite the highly reactive lithium, leading to a fire.

“We would urge residents to make sure they dispose of batteries and electrical items correctly at the appropriate recycling facility.”

Boston Borough Council is now urging all residents not to throw batteries or any household electrical items in their household bins.

All electrical items can be disposed of at the Household Waste Recycling Centre or at many local hardware stores.

Batteries can be disposed of at the Household Waste Recycling Centre or in dedicated battery bins that can be found in many local shops.

Councillor Deborah Evans, portfolio holder for Waste Services at Boston Borough Council, said: “We are really lucky that the fire was quickly spotted and contained by our refuse crew today and that no damage was caused to the vehicle. A huge thank you to the crew members.

“This is a huge reminder to our residents to please dispose of your household items in the correct manner, no batteries or electrical items should be placed in your household bins.

“Advice on what items can go in what bin can be found on our website at www.mybostonuk.com/waste.”