Shropshire firefighters have made a short film to demonstrate the dangers of fires in household bins.
The short clip shows a blazing bin deliberately set on fire and positioned in the porch of an empty house due to be demolished.
The public should keep a close eye on their household rubbish bins, as if set alight, fire can easily spread to the house, the Shropshire Fire and Rescue service warned.
A total of 304 bin fires were reported in the county over the past year, with 14 causing a real threat to nearby homes and businesses, they said.
“Our community fire safety department identified that bin fires are a problem and took the video footage themselves to graphically show just how quickly a wheelie bin sets on fire when it is deliberately set alight.
“This is a problem we repeatedly get called out to deal with and one which can pose a significant risk as fire spreads rapidly, and if the bin is located close to their property, they could potentially be trapped inside their house. Wheelie bins are an available source of flammable materials which arsonists take advantage of. Don’t give them the opportunity.”
The video is to be shown in schools across the county as part of the campaign.
Residents are urged, if possible, to keep their wheelie bins away from property and only put it out in the street just before the arrival of the bin collectors.
Last year, a wheelie bin was deliberately placed next to a gas pipe before being set on fire on a Telford housing estate. The blaze cracked the pipe before leaking gas led to a potentially lethal blaze, they said.
In another incident firefighters were called extinguish flames on a scrap yard of a Telford business which threatened to spread to nearby businesses.
Both incidents were examples of how rubbish fires were “extremely dangerous,” said Derek Taylor, the brigade’s fire crime investigation officer.
For more information visit www.shropshirefire.gov.uk
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