FAIRFIELD, CT - On Dec. 7 at about 6am, Fairfield Fire Fighters responded to a report of a truck fire near Starbucks at 1740 Post Road. Fire crews arrived within minutes and reported a garbage truck with its load on fire. The first arriving Officer, Lt Phil Higgins, instructed the driver to dump the flaming refuse into the road, an action which prevented the fire from extending to the vehicle. Crews from three engines, one heavy rescue and one command vehicle quickly brought the blaze under control. The truck driver who reported the fire was not injured.
Crews found remains of propane cylinders in the pile of smoldering debris, items which present a tremendous explosion hazard to Fire Fighters and refuse workers! The incident commander, Assistant Chief Roger Caisse, stated, “Pressurized cylinders, like propane tanks, should NEVER be discarded as residential waste. Instead, they should be safely disposed of at designated collection points.”