Loveland, Ohio – “Yes, entire load was in garbage truck. The truck alarm alerted the driver and whole neighborhood. He dumped the load on the street immediately,” said Nick Pfarr who sent this photo to Loveland Magazine. The fire occurred just after sunrise on June 15.
Pfarr said that according to Dave Weisinger, the Rumpke Site Safety Supervisor the cause was when someone disposed of a kerosene heater with fuel still inside along with a chainsaw with gasoline, and perhaps a weed eater. “Gasoline and kerosene together are even more flammable, said Pfarr.
Because the tools were at the end of the truck load, Pfarr said the hazardous wastes had to have been disposed of by a customer in close proximity to the Walnut Street scene.
Pfarr’s take away was, “Lets be very aware of what we put in garbage cans.”
Weisinger also cautioned that pool chemicals are another hazard that cause multiple incidents of this sort throughout summer months in the Rumpke Service area.
“The stench of garbage lingered and many small pieces of broken glass and tiny garbage fragments were left behind in grass along street,” said Pfarr.
Why did the truck driver take the items if they had fuel in them? Certainly you can feel the liquid sloshing around inside and in some cases see through the tank.