What Caused This Crazy Garbage Truck Fire In Boise? (PHOTOS)

"Talk about a dumpster fire."

That's the top comment on a post about a scary situation that unfolded on Linder and Franklin at 1 PM in Meridian on Wednesday (4/24). In a popular Facebook dedicated to crime in the Treasure Valley, Whitley D. shared a photo showing a Republic Services garbage truck up in flames.

Like a lot of people, we immediately wondered if the driver of the truck was okay.

"Praying that the driver is okay," read one of the top reacted comments. Many others in the comment section echoed the concern.

Thankfully, a man by the name of Bob C. had some good news to share about the driver:

"Former Republic driver here! The driver is ok (I checked)," he wrote in his comment.

Many people started speculating what could cause such a blaze and one of the most popular theories garnered plenty of "likes" in agreement.

"Stop throwing away batteries!"

Several people theorized that improperly disposed batteries caused the fire. The thing is, the fire appears to originate from the engine.

Now, remember Bob C.? Our former truck driver who once worked for Republic? He chimed in with what is likely the most probable cause of the fire:

Based on what I’m seeing, it was an engine fire. Stuff can fall behind the cab, which is where the engine is. It’ll land on the exhaust manifold and WOOSH. If you don’t catch it in time, it’s a bad situation. I have caught cardboard smoking on my engine before. Gotta be on top of things.

Oddly, this isn't the first time something like this has happened in Boise, and back in December of 2023, KTVB broke a story about a garbage truck that caught fire. That fire was believed to be caused by engine issues.

Now, this doesn't mean that it's okay to throw whatever you want to in the trash. Let's look at some of the no-nos of disposing...