Garbage truck driver praised for quick thinking after vape causes fire: ‘Deserves a raise’
A recycling truck driver in Oxenford, on the Gold Coast, has been praised online after quickly dumping his burning load in an empty carpark, avoiding a potentially serious fire. Firefighters were called out on Friday afternoon after a suspected vape battery ignited inside the truck's load, and footage of the driver diverting off the main road and emptying the bin's contents onto the tarmac went viral, with many commenters saying he "deserves a raise" for his fast thinking.
The blaze is believed to have been caused by a discarded vape, which contains lithium batteries that can catch fire when crushed by rubbish trucks. Gold Coast councillor Naomi Fowler shared the footage, confirming nobody was hurt and no collections were missed, while urging residents to dispose of items correctly. Notably, the truck itself displayed a council reminder to "know what goes in your recycling bin," part of a wider campaign warning that batteries pose a fire risk if binned rather than taken to dedicated drop-off points at retailers such as Woolworths, Bunnings, Coles and Aldi. Some commenters, including a self-described bin worker, said such fires remain a persistent problem despite awareness campaigns.
- Gold Coast bin driver dumped a burning load, averting a bigger fire
- Vape battery suspected of sparking the blaze; no injuries reported
- Incident renews calls for proper battery disposal, not household bins
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Recycling and rubbish collection services across Australia have been raising the alarm about vapes and other lithium battery items being thrown in household bins, because these batteries can catch fire when crushed by the machinery inside collection trucks. Such fires can put drivers at risk and, in worse cases, could damage vehicles or spread if not dealt with quickly.
The incident took place in Oxenford, on the Gold Coast in Queensland, where a recycling truck driver noticed his load had caught alight and pulled off the road to empty it safely before the fire could escalate. Local councils, including the Gold Coast council, have been running public awareness campaigns urging residents to dispose of batteries and vapes at designated drop-off points in shops rather than putting them in household bins.
The story has drawn attention mainly because footage of the driver's actions was shared online and praised widely, putting a spotlight on a recurring but often overlooked hazard faced by waste collection workers.