3 hours ago
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A smoking rubbish truck has been forced to dump its flaming load in a long trail on busy Bell Street in Coburg, causing morning peak-hour traffic disruptions.
Footage shows flaming garbage strewn across Bell Street, near the Nicholson Street intersection, about 5.20am on Tuesday. There also appear to be flames in the back of the truck.
Fire Rescue Victoria said it took two fire truck crews seven minutes to extinguish the blaze, but two eastbound lanes were closed for several hours as authorities cleaned up the mess.
A spokesperson said firefighters had not yet identified the cause of the blaze.
However, a community account on Facebook called Safer Walking and Riding for Murray Rd posted videos of the early morning fire and said it was a “suspected lithium battery fire according to a traffic controller … Unlike trucks spilling concrete, gravel and oil on Murray [Road, Preston], this is one load dumping we approve!”
Incorrectly disposed batteries have caused a spate of fires in garbage trucks across Melbourne, forcing operators to dump smouldering rubbish onto suburban streets.
Lithium-ion batteries are highly energy-dense and at risk of catching fire when overcharged, used with non-compliant charging equipment, or crushed or damaged.
Josh Fischer, FRV’s deputy commissioner for community safety, previously told The Age that firefighters were particularly concerned about exploding batteries in apartments, but garbage truck fires were increasingly common as people failed to dispose of waste correctly.
“It’s a fast-growing risk in Victoria,” he said. “We’re certainly seeing an increase year-on-year.”
Fire Rescue Victoria confirmed Bell Street has been reopened.
With Lachlan Abbott
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