Warning after second wheelie bin fire in a week

Crews from Normanton and Castleford fire stations were called out to Ambler Street, Castleford at around 2.30am this morning.

A wheelie bin, in a compound of bins at road level, beneath a block of flats had been set alight.

People living in the flats were evacuated for around 45 minutes while firefighters extinguished the blaze.

Watch commander Daryl Schofield of Castleford Station said: “People seem to think wheelie bin fires are small fires but they give off generous amounts of heat and can be very dangerous.

“When you put water on hot plastic, you get fireballs which is what we got last night.

“The fires are a particular risk, especially when they are beneath buildings.

“My special thanks go to crew commander Neil Burkinshaw who was first on the scene and he bravely dealt with the fire before it spread any further.

“He was straight in there and pulled the bin out into the open so the fire couldn’t spread.

“Wheelie bin fires are becoming a serious concern. People think they are a bit of a giggle but they can cause real damage.”

He added that there was no major damage to the building and no one was injured thanks to the swift efforts of the fire crews.

Police are investigating the incident.

It follows a fire in Featherstone last Sunday, when a row of 11 wheelie bins, propped up against houses on Verner Street were set on fire.