Bin Fires

[Latchford Locks]

I'm amazed at the times I read that a fire engine and crew have attended a wheely bin fire... crickey what an unnecessary waste of time and money can people not just get a few buckets of water and extinguish it themselves instead of calling out the emergency services!

I wonder what the citizens of yesteryear(1940's) would think of it all and our attitudes

When they still got their morning pinta after firefighting at night then going to work afterwards 

Right thats my Victor Meldrew rant over for now !!

 

[Confused52]

I wonder if the problem might be exacerbated by the bins being plastic which itself catches fire? I can see that would be much more dangerous than the rubbish burning in the metal dustbins of old. Might that be reason for the apparent over concern?

[Latchford Locks]

Not to sure about that , but the point I'm making is still relevant; folk just use our emergency services without thinking it through properly

Look how many people with minor aches and pains just go to A&E without batting an eyelid.

Then complain at the long queues the overstretched staff are dealing with.

 

 

[Bill]

I doubt it’d take too many bowls of water to put out a bin fire, even one that’s well alight and that’s what I think the majority of people would do. But there’ll always be some who think it’s safer just to call the fire department, after all their advice is to call them to deal with it if it can’t be put out with a bucket of water.

I think a lot of the recent callouts have been due to vandals setting alight bins either in a public place or domestic bins outside of the property.    A couple of weeks back there were reports of bin fires every single night in the parks local to me and probably the work of just one crazy individual in some gang that though it was a cool thing to do.

 

Bill 😊

[Latchford Locks]

And reading those reports I noticed how some were at really strange times for example one was at 4.45 am !!! who on earth is walking the streets at that time starting fires ?

[Observer II]

Not a problem in the US. the cops just shoot them !    😉

[asperity]

48 minutes ago, Latchford Locks said:

And reading those reports I noticed how some were at really strange times for example one was at 4.45 am !!! who on earth is walking the streets at that time starting fires ?

An arsonist?

[asperity]

A few years ago my friend's mother, who is in her 70s now, had her wheelie bin set on fire during the early hours. The fire spread to the front door which caught alight. If a neighbour hadn't been awake and called the fire-brigade I doubt if she would be with us today. The fire brigade say "get out and call us out" they don't say "chuck a bucket of water on it, you'll be okay", they would much rather you leave it to them rather than try and do it yourself and have a minor incident escalate into a disaster.

[Evil Sid]

I know it sound trite but if people took their wheely bins onto their property then there would be fewer floating around the street s to be set alight.

around here every property bar one has room to put the wheely bins in their yard out of sight. the one exception being the property opposite me which was converted into five flats with no area set aside to put even one wheely bin let alone two per flat.

In saying that at least a third of the wheely bins in the area are left out all week despite numerous warnings in the press and from the council about it.

[asperity]

People leaving their bins outside their property doesn't excuse the arsonists does it? I'm sure if there were no bins to set alight these criminals would find something else to burn, possibly with even more tragic consequences. There's a whiff of blaming the victim rather than the perpetrator here.

[Latchford Locks]

20 hours ago, asperity said:

A few years ago my friend's mother, who is in her 70s now, had her wheelie bin set on fire during the early hours. The fire spread to the front door which caught alight. If a neighbour hadn't been awake and called the fire-brigade I doubt if she would be with us today.

Having a fire on the scale of your Mothers friend.. Yes

But a wheely bin in the back alley is a totally different thing,

Simply assessing the situation and then acting on your decision is a gift called "common sense" which I'm sure 90% of folk have plenty of.

 

[Latchford Locks]

3 hours ago, Evil Sid said:

I know it sound trite but if people took their wheely bins onto their property then there would be fewer floating around the street s to be set alight.

around here every property bar one has room to put the wheely bins in their yard out of sight. 

It is actually an offence to leave bins outside

I and everyone in my avenue got letters from WBC a couple of years ago stating this and saying a mandatory fine of £75 was the cost of not complying.

It also obstructs the pavement forcing anybody with a pram(or wheelchair) to walk in the road.

[asperity]

But the fire brigade think differently, and let's face it they don't get paid by the number of fires they attend, they get paid for being on standby to put fires out regardless of the seriousness. They would rather be called out for "wheely bin in the back alley" where someone has already managed to put it out, than not be called out to a situation that has escalated out of control because someone has judged it to be "not all that bad". Plus I'm sure they appreciate getting out of the station occasionally.

[Observer II]

I suppose we should be thankful if folk are using their bins,  fly tipping can be worse.   

[Evil Sid]

5 hours ago, asperity said:

People leaving their bins outside their property doesn't excuse the arsonists does it? I'm sure if there were no bins to set alight these criminals would find something else to burn,

yes they would  have to find something else but a wheelie bin is an easy target,especially the blue ones with their load of recycled paper and plastic.

There have been several reports recently of wheelie bins set fire to in play areas. Be a bit different if the arsonist had to drag a pallet or two to the same place.

Targets of opportunity, take away the targets, take away the opportunity.

My personal take is that anybody found to be setting fires should have all their personal possessions piled in a heap and be made to watch them burnt to ashes. Won't stop them though.

[grey_man]

On 4/16/2021 at 2:46 PM, asperity said:

An arsonist?

Some people buy the myth that they can get high from the fumes and even that different coloured bins give them different highs. I'm not making this up. 

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/kids-setting-fire-wheelie-bins-17260803

[Davy51]

I think the main stimulation for these cretins is seeing a fire crew having to turn out to extinguish the fire.

[Observer II]

.. then throwing bricks at them.    😠

[Davy51]

Indeed !