newy.com.au – A City of Newcastle garbage truck driver dumped a burning load of rubbish onto Alexander Street at Wallsend on Thursday morning after detecting a fire in the vehicle’s waste compartment.
Fire and Rescue NSW said the driver safely emptied the load to prevent the flames spreading and causing further damage to the truck, then called triple zero.
Crews from Wallsend station responded about 8am on 17 September 2026 and extinguished the burning rubbish, preventing further spread. Once firefighters had made the scene safe, local council arranged for the waste to be removed and the roadway was cleared and reopened.
The cause of the fire has not been confirmed. Fire and Rescue NSW accompanied its account of the incident with a warning about battery disposal, but did not identify batteries as the source of the blaze.
The service warned that lithium-ion and other rechargeable batteries can ignite when crushed or damaged inside garbage trucks and waste-processing equipment. They should never be placed in household rubbish or recycling bins.
Batteries from power tools, phones, laptops, e-bikes, e-scooters and other rechargeable devices should instead be taken to an appropriate battery recycling or household problem-waste facility.
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