Fire forces lorry to dump waste outside college

A pile of rubbish filmed on fire outside a college in Cambridge was started 'accidentally', according to the fire service. The fire broke out on Friday morning (April 26) outside Cambridge Regional College when the driver of a refuse truck noticed the waste he had collected was on fire.

Flames could be seen coming from the three tonne pile of rubbish near to the college's Astroturf pitch on Marmalade Street. The fire was filmed by a passer-by as the emergency services made their way to the scene.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We received a call from the driver of a refuse truck at around 10.45am. He had noticed a fire in the waste he had collected in the back of the truck and found a place down a back road near the college where he could tip the rubbish out.

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"We arrived to find around three tonnes of rubbish alight. Crews used a hose reel and hand tools to spread the rubbish out and put the fire out. The driver was able to get a grab lorry to pick the rubbish up and crews carried on dampening down to ensure the fire was completely out.

"The crew from Cambridge left the scene at around 12.15pm. The cause was accidental."

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