Garbage truck's haul catches fire likely due to hazardous trash inside: 'Someone could die'
SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. - Just like not everything can go down the garbage disposal, not everything can be thrown out for the regular trash teams to pick up. Some of those hazardous materials – basic items like cell phones and cleaning products – are igniting, catching garbage trucks on fire, officials are warning.
Over nearly two years three garbage trucks – and the trash inside – have caught fire in Satellite Beach, most recently on Jan. 5, 2024, according to the Satellite Beach Fire Department. Not only is it a mess to clean up, but it puts the city's garage collectors and employers in danger.
"The drivers have to immediately dump the load," said Jeffrey Dangler, deputy chief of operations with the Satellite Beach Fire Department. On Jan. 5, city workers had to quickly find a spot to dump all the trash out of the garbage truck because something had caught fire.
Turns out, an old cell phone and pool cleaner were found in the trash, which likely sparked the fire, he said.
In the video shared with FOX 35, there's a large pile of trash in the middle of the roadway and part of it is on fire as firefighters rush to the scene and begin to extinguish it.
"The batteries can get damaged and go into thermal fire. Your pool cleaner can leach in," Dangler said. "As it mixes with all the other chemicals, if there’s any flammables in there as well, it can cause a fire in the garbage truck."
Rechargable batteries, bleach, gas, paint, and pesticides, among other items, should never go in the regular trash. those should be taken to special hazardous material collections. And good news, most cities and counties have their own collection sites.
"You just take it the landfill, and they will dispose of it properly there," he added.
"It’s a hazard to the public, and it’s dangerous. Someone could get hurt. Someone could die," said Julie Terrell, who lives on the Space Coast.
It’s important to make the extra effort because keeping hazards out of the garbage will prevent piles of burning trash from ending up in parking lots.
"It’s definitely a messy situation," Dangler said.
What is considered hazardous waste? And can it go in the trash or does it need to be taken to a recycling center?
Here's where to find out.