A metal bin lorry melted in a blaze caused by a vape battery.
More than £20,000 worth of damage was caused.
The fire became so hot that it melted the metal walls of the waste compartment.
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It was caused by an exploding vape battery in Exeter, Devon, as reported by Need To Know.
An Exeter City Council spokesperson said: “As soon as the crew noticed the smoke in their mirrors, the driver deployed the vehicle’s compacting mechanism to cut off the air supply to the fire and contain it within the vehicle.
“But the fire had already spread quickly, melting the electrics and preventing the mechanism from working fully.”
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service had to close the road to tackle the blaze.
Ruth Williams, of Exeter City Council, Devon, said: “This all happened because someone threw away their electronic vape without thinking.
“Waste batteries are a known fire risk and one careless act has caused major traffic disruption and at least £25,000 worth of vehicle damage.
“The collection crew did brilliantly – their swift action prevented an even worse situation from developing.
“I’d also like to say a big thank you to the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, who arrived at the scene quickly and supported our staff during and after the incident with great care and professionalism.
“The safety of our staff and the public are paramount, and I’d like to thank everyone for how they reacted under pressure.”
Once the fire was out and it was determined that the vehicle could be driven safely, the fire crew reopened the road and followed the waste team back to the council’s depot in case of reignition.
Repair costs have been estimated at a minimum of £25,000.
Luckily, the crew had made only a handful of collections by the time the fire broke out, so the vehicle was not full of several tonnes of waste.
Waste recycling manager Craig Daysh said people putting vapes in normal bins was “a huge risk, to the refuse staff themselves, to the public and the exponential damage to the vehicles as well”.
He added: “Anything containing a battery – especially a lithium-ion battery – must be disposed of at a legitimate waste electrical recycling collection point.
“Retailers of electrical goods must provide these as part of Extended Producer Responsibility.”
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