Fire plea after Birmingham resident burns recycling inside home amid bin strike
Rubbish has been piling up in the city's streets since hundreds of bin workers went on an all-out strike on March 11 in a dispute over pay and jobs.
The fire service said the recycling fire was contained to one room of the resident's property and was out when fire crews arrived.
They used ventilation equipment to clear the property of smoke and fumes and the resident was not injured but was given oxygen.
A cat rummaging through furniture and uncollected refuse bags in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham (Jacob King/PA)
Emily Fernandez, head of prevention at West Midlands Fire Service, said: 'Burning household recycling like cardboard, paper or plastics can be very dangerous, especially indoors.
'Please don't burn your household waste or recycling.
'You could quickly be overcome by the smoke, or burned.
'Such fires can quickly get out of control and spread.
'If your recycling hasn't been collected, we urge you to store it safely until your next collection or, if you can, take it to a household recycling centre.
'Never try to burn it, you're risking lives and property.'
Fresh talks between Birmingham City Council and Unite the union aimed at resolving the long-running strike are to be held on May Day and conciliation service Acas will be involved in the meeting for the first time.
On Friday, it was announced that the city council's bin boss, the executive director of city operations Craig Cooper, will be leaving his role in June and a search for his replacement will begin 'immediately'.
Richard Brooks, who the council says has worked closely with Mr Cooper during the bin strike in the city operations department, will take over the role on an interim basis.
Council leader John Cotton said: 'Craig has been an exceptional leader and a dedicated public servant.
'His contributions to the council and the city have been invaluable.
'We are grateful for his service and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.'
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