A fire in a British rubbish truck probably started in its waste compartment and was not related to the vehicle being electric, contrary to suggestions online.

The blaze was reported at 2:10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Mandela Way, central London.

Social media posts, sharing screenshots of headlines about the fire, suggested the electric vehicle was at fault.

“It’s not that shocking that this battery-powered bin lorry exploded into flames. We all know they’re pretty unsafe,” said a Facebook post on Oct. 29, which was accompanied by a screenshot of an articlepublished on the blog The Daily Sceptic, which is identical to a piece published by the Daily Telegraph.

Another Facebook post, sharing a screenshot of the Daily Telegraph article, said diesel bin lorries were cheaper than electric ones and “less likely to spontaneously combust”.

However, a spokesperson for Westminster City Council and Veolia - who are responsible for the waste collection service - said: “Unfortunately, a waste fire occurred early on Monday morning, which ignited in the body of one of our electric Refuse Collection Vehicles (eRCVs); thankfully, nobody was injured.

“The fire was unrelated to the eRCV’s battery and was most likely caused by a flammable item amongst the collected waste materials.

“We urge all residents and businesses not to dispose of batteries, electronic items, vapes and gas canisters in general recycling or waste collection bins because they frequently cause fires.”

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said it could not comment on the cause of the blaze as it had not sent its fire investigation team to the incident.

“Firefighters responded to reports of a dustcart alight on Mandela Way in Soho,” the spokesperson added in an email to Reuters. "Half of the dustcart was damaged by the fire. There were no reports of any injuries.”

The Daily Sceptic, responding to requests for comment, said it had added an update to the bottom of its article clarifying that the fire had occurred in the collected waste, not the electric battery.