Highland residents urged not to put hot ashes into household bins after council refuse lorry catches fire just off the A833 in Tomnacross
A Highland Council bin lorry caught fire this morning and the cause is believed to have been ashes which had not fully cooled down.
The incident was in the body of the vehicle just off the A833 in Tomnacross.
Firefighters from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were called to help the council waste staff who are all described as safe following the blaze.
It has now been extinguished and the lorry has been returned to the council's Inverness depot with a replacement vehicle provided so collections in this area can be completed.
Residents are being urged to make sure ash has properly cooled down and not to put hot ashes into household bins.
Council official Carron McDiarmid said: “We cannot stress enough – at any time – how important it is to take care not to place hot ash in bins.
"Not only does this put the safety of our staff at immediate risk, it also takes the emergency services away from dealing with other emergencies.
"In this time of the Covid-19 crisis we urge everyone to be careful, please think, check and check again carefully if ash is cooled before discarding it.”
