Orange City Council have urged people disposing car bodies to ensure fuel and oil tanks are empty following a fire at the Ophir Road Resource Recovery Centre.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Wednesday, scrap metal recycling contractor noticed smoke coming from the back of the truck.
He quickly dumped the load and the Orange Rural Fire Brigade were called at 9.30am to bring the fire under control. The fire was extinguished by 11am.
“Orange City Council is paid by Sydney metal recycler SIMS Metal to stockpile scrap metal on a separate section of the Ophir Road facility,” council spokesman Nick Redmond said.
The scrap is regularly taken to Sydney.
“It’s not clear how the fire began. The action of metal on metal as the waste was loaded can produce a spark,” Mr Redmond said.
As well as emptying fuel and oil tanks, Mr Redmond said car batteries should be disposed of separately.
“As part the facility’s normal routines, the incident was reported to environmental authorities and they’ve taken no further action.”