A quick-thinking garbage truck driver noticed his load was on fire early Thursday morning.
Scott Barnhizer, regional safety supervisor for Rumpke, said the driver assessed the potential the fire could be extinguished inside the truck but then made the decision to dump the load in a safe spot in a parking lot.
Barnhizer said they will try to find out where the fire came from and use it as an educational opportunity about what should not go in the trash.
He said that people will commonly place embers from fireplaces, grills or stoves into the trash, thinking they're extinguished. Batteries, especially lithium batteries can also cause fires if the casing cracks. Pool chemicals reacting to other items also might combust.