Garbage Truck Catches Fire In Westlake

WESTLAKE, OH — A garbage truck caught on fire at 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday in Westlake. The blaze occurred in the truck's load and was extinguished with the help of the Westlake Fire Department, a spokesperson for Rumpke said in a statement.

The truck was on Laughlin Lane when the fire started. The driver of the garbage truck saw the blaze, shut down the truck, jumped out, and called 911. Rumpke said the fire was visible from the outside of the ruck.

By 1:30 p.m., the fire was completely extinguished. The fire department and Rumpke are working together to determine what happened. No one was hurt in the fire.

“We appreciate the quick response from the Westlake emergency crews,” said Bob Havenga, Rumpke district manager in a statement. “We are working to clear the scene as quickly as possible.”

A spokesperson for Rumpke told Patch the truck that caught on fire was a residential front load truck. There are visible burn marks on the side of the truck, just to the left of the Rumpke logo. The fire is believed to have been started by an item or chemical that should not have been disposed of in regular trash.

The spokesperson for Rumpke said the source of the fire is currently unconfirmed, but previous fires were caused by unaccepted materials being placed in trash or recycling. For example, hot grills, charcoal, lithium ion batteries, and pool chemicals should not be placed in the trash.

"Residents are reminded to never place these items or other household hazardous wastes in the trash or recycling," the Rumpke spokesperson said in a statement. "They should contact the local solid waste district for proper disposal options."

An industrial street sweeper will clean the area.

Westlake Fire Department did not immediately return Patch's request for comment.

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