Bin Lorry Set On Fire By Mobile Phone And Had To Be Rescued By Fire Fighters

In a post on Facebook, Horsham District Council said three crews from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were needed to get the fire under control and urged people not to chuck away old mobile phones with household recycling. 

The post read: “Thankfully no one was hurt, and three crews from West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service attended to get things under control. The most likely cause of the fire is a lithium ion battery from a mobile phone.

“When someone put this into their recycling, we're sure they didn't think that it would lead to three fire crews, significant disruption for residents of the road, and over five tonnes of recycling going to waste. But it did.

“We’re going to be sharing more posts this summer about what can and cannot be recycled, and if you have a question please just ask. In this particular case, small electricals can be recycled using our free collection service, or taken to a Recycling Centre.”

The council also confirmed that West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service had launched an investigation into the fire. 

This comes just weeks after firefighters in London issued a warning about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes. 

A fire broke out in a high-rise in Shepherd’s Bush last month, with firefighters determining an e-bike as the cause. 

London Fire Brigade's assistant commissioner for fire safety, Charlie Pugsley, said in a statement: "It's incredibly concerning that we are continuing to see a rise in incidents involving e-bikes.

"When these batteries and chargers fail, they do so with ferocity and because the fires develop so rapidly the situation can quickly become incredibly serious. These items are often stored in communal areas and corridors and can block people's only means of escape.

"Another issue with fires involving lithium-ion batteries and which we saw at yesterday's fire is that when they fail, they eject their contents over a wide area which can lead to multiple areas of burning in the room where the fire has started."

He also warned: "There is a significant risk posed by the e-bikes which have been converted and we are predominantly seeing fires in ones which have been purchased from online marketplaces and batteries which have been sourced on the internet, which may not meet the correct safety standards."