The fire, believed to have been caused by a large number of lithium batteries that had been placed inside a black bag in a refuse bin, took place on Wednesday 4 November in Windsor and required the vehicle's load to be emptied onto the road so crews could deal with the situation quickly and safely.
Residents are reminded that batteries, vapes and electrical items containing batteries should never be placed in household rubbish or recycling bins. Where possible, batteries should be removed from electrical items before disposal.
For kerbside collection, batteries can be placed in a small plastic bag and left on top of or next to a recycling bin, while small electrical items should be placed in a separate bag and left alongside the recycling bin. Batteries, vapes and small electrical items can also be taken to designated recycling points across the borough for safe disposal and recycling.
This recent fire highlights a growing national issue - research by Material Focus found more than 1,200 battery fires occurred in UK bin lorries and waste sites in 2023/24, a 71 per cent increase on the previous year.
Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Leisure and Performance, Cllr Mark Wilson said: "I'd like to thank the Serco collection crew for their quick response in dealing with this incident safely and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service for their support.
"Thankfully nobody was injured, but this is the third waste vehicle fire we've experienced this year and it highlights the very real risks caused by batteries being disposed of incorrectly.
"Battery fires are an increasing problem across the country. It only takes one battery in the wrong place to start a fire, putting collection crews, residents, vehicles and property at risk. We're asking everyone to take a moment to check whether an item contains a battery before throwing it away and to make sure it is recycled safely."
More information about recycling batteries and small electrical items is available on the council website.