Crawley bin crew avert major incident after rubbish catches fire

Quick thinking by a Biffa bin crew averted a major incident when they realised their lorry was on fire.
Quick thinking bin crew avoids major incidenQuick thinking bin crew avoids major inciden
Quick thinking bin crew avoids major inciden

Crawley’s local fire crew were called to the incident in Langley Green on Tuesday July 3, after an eagle-eyed Biffa worker spotted the danger quickly and evacuated the load from the truck, allowing local fire services to extinguish the blaze as soon as possible, to stop it spreading and destroying the bin lorry.

Crawley Borough Council say the cause of the fire is still uncertain, however it is believed it may have been started after a smouldering disposable barbecue or batteries were mixed among the recycling.

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No crew or member of the public were injured in the incident and a council cleaning team ensured the load was cleared up and disposed of safely.

Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Sustainability, Councillor Geraint Thomas, said: “Thanks to the quick thinking actions of the Biffa team and swift response from the fire service, a dangerous situation, which could have become much worse, very quickly, was averted. My gratitude goes out to both the Biffa team and the fire service.”

Business Manager at Biffa, Ollie Maxey said: “We would like to appeal to residents, to be especially attentive to any type of potentially flammable waste that they disposed of, particularly during this hot weather we are receiving of late.”

For advice on how to safely dispose of waste such as barbecues and batteries, visit www.recycleforwestsussex.org/recycling-guidance