After spotting smoke rising from the rubbish collection vehicle on Friday 9 May, the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service transported the lorry to the waste transfer station and emptied the vehicle’s load to extinguish the fire.

Nick Seviour, Senior Business Manager at Biffa, said: ‘The crew stayed calm and acted quickly to prevent this incident from escalating. Thanks to their actions, the fire was contained and fortunately no one was hurt.’

The council has since shared a statement confirming the fire was caused by a mobile phone and a power tool battery, urging members of the community to dispose of electrical waste properly in future.

© Cornwall Council.

‘We often see batteries in rubbish and I hope this acts as a reminder to people to check what they’re putting in the bin and do their bit to keep the crews safe,’ Nick Seviour said.

Esther O’Bearagh, Waste and Recycling Community Engagement Team Leader at Cornwall Council, added: ‘Remember anything with lights or sound, even small items such as keyrings, musical cards and toys, will contain a battery of some kind.

‘If you can’t remove the battery from an item, please take it to your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre so the parts can be recycled safely.’

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