ERDA, Utah — North Tooele Fire District firefighters experienced the opposite of their usual routine Thursday, when a garbage truck driver realized his trash load was on fire and brought it straight to their Erda fire station.

Fire district spokesman Jon Smith told KSL the cause was under investigation, but he believed a lithium ion battery in the load of trash ignited, starting the fire.

Crews made quick work of the fire in their parking lot, and continued to monitor hot spots and put them out. The truck driver was unhurt. Firefighters also escaped injury.

Trash fire came to firefighters

“The driver did exactly the right thing,” Smith said. He noted the driver made sure to drop his load in a safe space where it would not start a brush fire. It just happened to be where firefighters we

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