A Horwich man’s bin “unexpectedly” burst into “ferocious” flames – and he credits the fire services with saving the day. Mr Livingstone, who declined to give his first name, was surprised to find his barely-filled burgundy bin on fire and releasing “toxic” fumes on Sunday. It had been emptied four days ago.
And had just a few glass bottles, plastic bottles and cans. He said: “My wife saw the flames outside the kitchen door. “Our bin had caught on fire.
We didn’t know why. “There was not a lot to combust. “But, because there was plastic in the bin, the flames were ferocious.
“The heat was intense. “And molten plastic was going down the side of the property and flowing down the rain drains. (Image: Public) “It was frightening to see the extent of it.
“A neighbour across the road saw what was happening and brought a fire extinguisher over, thankfully. “We put a wet sheet on top of fire, knowing that you can't use water with plastic. “There was a lot of smoke, and the house smelled badly from the toxic fumes.
“It was a windy day, and we were lucky that they blew away from the property. When the Livingstones felt they had the fire under control, they called Horwich Fire Services. Mr Livingstone said: “We tried to phone the Horwich Fire Brigade and Greater Manchester Fire Service but found out nobody was there at the weekends.
“But 999 worked. “I told them we didn’t think it was an emergency. “But they insisted they needed to check .