Trash Truck Catches Fire In Ridgewood, Dumps Contents (UPDATED)

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — There were no injuries and the investigation continues after a Ridgewood garbage truck caught fire on a public street on Wednesday morning.

Ridgewood Police Captain Glenn Ender said that emergency responders received a call at 7:44 a.m. about the truck, which was driving on Linwood Avenue.

The truck managed to pull into the Graydon lot to dump its load, he said.

According to firefighters, the sanitation crew parked and was able to remove the contents of the truck before Fire Department Platoon B showed up at the lot to extinguish the blaze.

"Thank you to Ridgewood's sanitation department for getting the truck promptly off the road and away from civilians and vehicles," said Ridgewood Firefighters' Local 47, "and a job well done to our members for a quick response and control of the scene."

Residents praised the sanitation crew for pulling the truck into a lot.

"Smart thinking on the part of the driver!" wrote a commenter on social media. "Excellent job everyone."

Cautionary Tale

David Spielman, who's on Teaneck's Environmental Commission, noted that the incident was a reminder to properly dispose of household hazardous waste.

"The next Bergen County Utilities Authority Household Hazardous Waste Collection is this coming Saturday at BCUA Headquarters in Moonachie," he noted in a social media post. "For those of us who can't do Saturdays, the next Sunday collection is April 6 (just in time for Passover cleaning) at Bergen Community College in Paramus."

Can Prove Fatal

Among other hazardous materials, ion batteries, which are used in motorized scooters and ebikes, have exploded when not properly stored and disposed of. In fact, an ion battery explosion in an ebike shop caused a fire that killed four New York City residents in 2023, according to reports.

Some New Jersey towns have passed laws about the sale and disposal of the batteries. Read more about that here.