Hot coals dumped with garbage are believed to have started a fire at the Manilla landfill yesterday afternoon.
HOT coals dumped with garbage are believed to have started a fire at the Manilla landfill yesterday afternoon.
A spokesman for Tamworth Regional Council said strong prevailing winds led to the fire igniting waste material about 2.30pm.
It quickly spread across the landfill face, burning about 10 cubic metres of waste.
Council waste services manager Jon Beckett said quick action from the Rural Fire Service and a Manilla fire crew controlled the blaze, while on-the-spot assistance from the council’s waste services staff helped to contain the fire before smothering it with soil.
“Council staff from the Manilla depot also quickly supplied a water tanker and offered the use of civil earthmoving equipment,” Mr Beckett said.
The incident was a reminder of the hazard posed by disposing of hot coals at the landfill, he said.
“Hot coals or ashes pose a real fire threat. A fire can spread quickly and become very difficult to control,” he said.