Lamar Fire Department Extinguishes Trash Truck Fire Caused by Improper Disposal of Ashes

Description: The City of Lamar Released the Following Statement Regarding a Trash Truck Fire on January 15, 2025... (Photos Courtesy of the City of Lamar)

Trash Truck Fire Quickly Extinguished

(January 15, 2025) Early this morning, the City of Lamar's commercial refuse collection truck operator was early in his weekly Wednesday route when he realized that the contents of the truck were on fire. He quickly called the Lamar Fire Department and safely dumped the load in a vacant lot on West Hickory Street.

Then the LFD promptly extinguished the load with no risk to residents or neighboring businesses and no damage to the truck. The cause of the fire appears to have been reignited coals from ashes deposited in a city trash receptacle.

The City reminds residents and commercial users that coals from fireplace/pit ashes can reignite after days or weeks if not fully wet down into a paste. Placing them into City trash receptacles puts residents, City employees and City vehicles in jeopardy. New trash trucks cost nearly $400,000. Commercial users and residents can be summonsed to Lamar Municipal Court under Municipal Code Sec. 14-2 for placing hot ashes in City trash receptacles.

In an aligned topic, the City of Lamar warns residents and commercial users to never dispose of lithium batteries in City receptacles. These batteries can explode in a truck or at the landfill and cause significant damage/fires as well as possible injury to residents and City employees.

For more information, please visit https://ci.lamar.co.us/sanitation or call City of Lamar Public Works at 719-336-2002

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