Garbage Truck Fire - Sir Thomas Mitchell

1 August 2023

Waverley Council has renewed calls for people to dispose of batteries correctly following a fire at around 7.20am today in a garbage truck in Sir Thomas Mitchell Road, Bondi Beach.

On detecting the fire, the garbage truck crew immediately contacted the NSW Fire Brigade and under their instruction, dumped the truck’s load onto the roadway and began to extinguish the fire. The NSW Fire crews arrived and completely extinguished the fire. No one was injured. Council crews are now cleaning the site.

Whilst the cause of the fire is yet to be formally determined, the most likely source of ignition is from a lithium battery being crushed in the truck’s compactor.

We take this opportunity to remind residents and businesses that batteries should not be disposed of in household garbage bins. There are a number of convenient collection points including Waverley’s Customer Service Centre, Spring St, Bondi Junction.

Find out how to dispose of problem waste here.

Batteries catching alight are the most common cause of garbage truck and waste processing centre fires in NSW.

-ENDS

Media inquiries: media@waverley.nsw.gov.au or 0416 075 532.