RESIDENTS of Alto Apartments at Charlestown were evacuated on Friday morning after a garbage truck burst into flames.
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The truck caught fire in a loading dock on Hopetoun Street.
Six fire trucks and 24 firefighters are at the scene working to extinguish the blaze which erupted about 7.56am.
Alto Apartments resident Vicki Clement said she smelled the smoke before the fire alarm went off.
"It just kept getting stronger and stronger, and then I heard the fire engine so I knew something was happening outside," she said.
"It smells like burning fuel basically, it's disgusting, my whole apartment stinks of it now.
"It's in a smouldering stage, because it's one of those big skip bin trucks I don't think they must tip, unless he couldn't get into the truck to make it tip up because all of the rubbish is still in the truck."
Ms Clement said she was worried about the driver, but it seems he escaped the blaze.
"I don't think he was actually in the truck when it was noticed," she said.
"I was like, 'Is this truck going to blow up?' because they're full of petrol.
"I thought, 'Should I be breathing this in?' then there was a little explosion, it might have been an aerosol can on the front seat, I don't know, but I ducked because I was like, 'Oh my god, it's gonna blow'."
Ms Clement said at first the truck was just smouldering before flames burst out towards the cab.
Now she said the car park beneath the apartments is full of firefighting foam.
A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman told the Newcastle Herald two of the six crews are actively working to put out the fire, which was still burning about 9am.
"They're still there attempting to put the fire out," he said.
"Normally with these cases we get the driver to dump the load on the ground, but it looks like in this case for whatever reason they weren't able to do that, so the actual truck is on fire.
"We have no reports of any injuries."
The Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman said at this stage it is unclear what started the fire but it is likely "something that someone should not have put in the garbage".
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a born and bred Novocastrian who started her career as a journalist in the New England North West in 2016. She is an experienced council and court reporter, former deputy editor of the Northern Daily Leader and two-time Kennedy Award finalist. In unrelated incidents, she previously reported on country music in Australia's country music capital and was once flung across Lake Macquarie in a power boat at more than 100 kilometres per hour. Maddie now works at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on Newcastle council. To keep up with my stories, follow my X @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
