Trash Truck Fire Quickly Contained in Mascoutah
By Zachary Daum
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A trash truck fire in Mascoutah was safely handled Monday, Jan. 5, at approximately 2:30 p.m., with no injuries reported and no complications during the response.
According to Ryan Haas, Assistant Fire Chief for the Mascoutah Fire Department, the incident began when a garbage truck driver stopped to service a dumpster at a commercial business and discovered a fire in the back of the truck.
“The driver realized he had a fire in the rear of his truck,” Haas said. “He already knew of a safe location in town where he could dump a hot load, which was 844 North Jefferson Street at the former Dollar General location.”
Aspen Waste dropped the burning garbage load at its designated location at the former Dollar General parking lot, located at 844 North Jefferson St.
Haas said the driver proceeded directly to the vacant lot, dumped the load, and then called 911.
“The driver did exactly what he was supposed to do,” Haas said. “He got the load out in a safe area and contacted emergency services right away.”
Mascoutah Fire Department crews arrived on scene and extinguished the fire without incident. Haas said firefighters remained on scene for approximately 30 to 45 minutes and used roughly 3,000 gallons of water to fully put out the fire.
“We were not out there for an extended period of time,” Haas said. “Everything went as planned.”
Mascoutah Fire Fighter responded to the fire quickly, putting out the blaze in what took roughly 30 minutes to complete.
The garbage truck driver jokingly told the fire department that always knows where he can use a bathroom and where he can dump a hot load.
No injuries were reported, and no additional damage occurred beyond the contents of the truck. Fire officials emphasized that quick thinking by the driver and a coordinated response helped ensure the situation was resolved safely.
