Recycling lorry fire in Kineton ‘caused by disposable barbecue’

A DISPOSABLE barbecue caused a fire in a recycling lorry which was making collections in Kineton.

Stratford District Council warned of the dangers of disposable barbecues following the incident in King Johns Road where a lorry caught fire on Wednesday (7th June).

The council said it was believed the barbecue had been put into a blue-lidded recycling bin, which then ignited and caused a fire in the back of the vehicle.

More than four tonnes of recycling had to be tipped in the road where the firefighters extinguished the fire.

No one was hurt and the vehicle was not damaged, but the council stressed that the situation could have been much worse.

Cllr Lorraine Grocott, environmental and neighbourhood services portfolio holder at the district council, said: ”This incident is extremely concerning and put a number of people at risk.

”I would like to take this opportunity to remind district residents of the importance of disposing of waste properly and advise people to follow the instructions on the disposable barbecues of how you can safely dispose of them.”

Disposable barbecues and hot coals can take up to 48 hours to fully cool. People who use them need to ensure they are left for that period or are cooled by soaking them in water. Once cold, they can be disposed of in the general waste.