Gilbert has experienced two garbage truck fires in the past month, resulting in the total loss of one truck totaling an estimated $500,000 in damages.

These incidents are becoming more frequent and increasingly hazardous, yet they are entirely preventable, officials said.

To protect town drivers, equipment and community, residents should take extra precautions when disposing of waste. Certain items pose a serious fire risk and should never be placed in trash or recycling bins, including:

• Batteries of any kind;
• Motor oil or transmission fluid;
• Chemicals or solvents;
• Paint or stain;
• Propane tanks;
• Household cleaners.

Instead, these materials should be safely disposed of at Gilbert’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility located near the intersection of Queen Creek and Greenfield roads.

Additionally, all trash and recycling should fit inside bins with lids fully closed. Residents are encouraged to break down boxes and avoid overfilling, as items that escape from bins or land near a truck’s exhaust can also present a fire hazard.

Proper disposal practices are essential to ensuring the safety of sanitation workers and maintaining reliable waste collection services, officials said.

More information on safe disposal and Gilbert’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility is available by visiting gilbertaz.gov/HHW.