A routine trash run turned into a sunscreen-fueled headache for Speedway firefighters on Thursday, when a garbage truck caught fire on 10th Street and crews discovered the load held more than 600 aerosol cans of sunscreen that made the blaze tougher to knock down. The department said firefighters ultimately extinguished the fire and that no injuries were reported. Officials have not yet released a suspected cause.
Speedway Fire Department Account
In a Facebook post, the Speedway Fire Department said crews were dispatched to a trash-truck fire on 10th Street and quickly realized they were dealing with “challenging conditions” because of the number of aerosol cans packed into the load. The post states that more than 600 cans of sunscreen were involved and that firefighters brought the incident under control with no injuries reported.
The department added that the presence of pressurized cans stretched out the time it took to fully extinguish the smoldering trash, since crews had to account for cans that could suddenly rupture. The Facebook update includes photos from the scene alongside the department’s brief summary of the response.
Why Aerosol Cans Make Trash Fires Dangerous
Aerosol cans are pressurized containers that can rupture when exposed to heat, releasing both propellant and product that may ignite or create flying metal fragments. That combination complicates firefighting and increases safety risks for crews working close to the flames…