Waste ablaze

By Lia Bichel
A TRUCK driver made a quick escape when the vehicle he was driving went up in flames on a residential street in Narre Warren South last week.
About 7.30am on 10 December, a Thiess green garbage truck caught fire while collecting waste and the diesel tank exploded.
Fifteen fire-fighters and two appliances from the Narre Warren and Berwick Fire Brigade attended the blaze, on Peppertree Drive.
Narre Warre Fire Brigade First Lieutenant Travis Carter said they received a number of calls reporting the fire from Peppertree Drive residents.
“Many people were still home at the time and they were shaken by the whole thing,” he said.
Fire crews had the blaze under control in 45 minutes and extinguished shortly after.
Mr Carter said the driver escaped without injury.
“The truck driver escaped pretty quickly. No-one was injured,” he said.
“We contained the fire to the truck, but there was a fair amount of clean up required after the fire was extinguished.”
The EPA was notified due to the potential diesel leak, which had spread in to the nearby drains.
Mr Carter said fire-fighters have not determined the cause of the fire but believe it was due to a mechanical failure.