Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) has reported an uptick in dumpster and garbage fires across the city recently — but some of the blazes have sparked concern on social media.
On Thursday (Nov. 24) at 2 a.m., black smoke billowed out from three large garbage can fires beside the Vancouver Art Gallery. Passersby were concerned about the building's proximity to the growing flames.
Vancouverite Eddy Elmer tweeted that "fast-acting sanitation crews nearby" helped keep the flames at bay before firefighters arrived.
"Lucky [that the] fire didn't spread along [the] side of [the building]. Not [the] best location for bins," he wrote.
Matthew Trudeau, a spokesperson for the VFRS, told Vancouver Is Awesome that they received a call about the garbage can fires at 2:08 a.m. After the fire crew extinguished it, they checked inside to ensure the heat didn't ignite anything and the crew left just before 3 a.m.
"The fire was set by an unidentified individual," he noted.
But Thursday's fire wasn't an anomaly.
Firefighters saw a "significant increase in dumpster and garbage fires overnight Tuesday/Wednesday," added Trudeau.
Due to the risk to buildings, however, Vancouver has a fire bylaw that requires all dumpsters to be non-combustible so the dumpster is able to contain the fire as much as possible.
The VFRS also works with city engineering crews to make sure dumpsters are locked up after fires, Trudeau explained.
Vancouver public waste bins and fire hazards
The city told V.I.A. that public waste bins typically have a "metal surround" that helps prevent the spread of fire. But there are a few different styles.
Many public waste bins are being replaced with larger ones that have two-and-a-half times the capacity as well as a "wheeled tote inside." Additionally, these larger bins only need to be emptied once daily, whereas the smaller ones must be emptied two or three times.
While emptying the bins less often is more efficient, it "is also safer for our crews as the totes are emptied using a mechanical lifter on the truck, instead of by hand," notes the city.
But the city faces issues with people illegally dumping their household or business waste in public bins. When the bins fill up with waste from people's homes, they fill up before the city can empty them. Not only can they create a fire hazard when they overflow, but they can also attract pests.
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To decide where to place new bins, city staff review waste-generating sources in the area, pedestrian volumes, use patterns, and nearby waste bin locations.
As for the perforated surfaces on public waste bins, the city says they help discourage graffiti, which blank surfaces are more likely to attract.
Michelle Harris, manager of Vancouver's solid waste programs, said there are more than 3,200 public waste bins available in the city for people to use while they are out and about and collection times vary depending on where they are located.
Vancouverites can help reduce the overflow issue by reducing the number of single-use items they use, "such as bringing along a reusable cup, or considering staying in a cafe and asking for reusable dishware," added Harris.
If you see an overflowing waste bin, report it via the Vanconnect app or call 311 and the city will send a crew to empty it as soon as possible.
Learn more about Vancouver's street cleaning and waste collection services or the Put Waste in its Place campaign.
