"Fire could spread very quickly." Safety warnings issued amid Birmingham bin strikes
It's as rubbish continues to pile up in week four of indefinite strike action
As rubbish mounts up across Birmingham while indefinite strike action continues, we're being warned of potential fire risks.
Bin workers downed tools three weeks ago in a dispute with Birmingham City Council over pay and conditions.
The council have since declared a major incident as waste trucks continue to be delayed by picket lines.
Tony Fogarty's the CEO of a Birmingham based company who specialise in fire safety.
He told us piles of rubbish can present a significant fire risk.
"Mounting rubbish, especially combustible materials, create a significant fire risk due to the potential for the fire to spread quickly.
"It's mainly caused by a cigarette or something like that and can quickly get out of control."
Tony said there are a few ways to minimise the fire risks posed by piles of rubbish.
"Avoid putting lithium batteries with the rest of your waste, as they can overheat, catch fire, and even explode if they are damaged or crushed," he said.
He also said making sure pathways are not blocked by bin bags is essential.
"Store bin bags well aware from buildings, making sure you don't block escape routes like fire exits and walkways."
Earlier this week the city council said declaring a major incident will initially increase the availability of street cleansing and fly-tip removal, with an additional 35 vehicles and crews around the city.
But Unite general secretary Sharon Graham pledged to "defend Birmingham's refuse workforce to the hilt" and urged the council "to rethink this disastrous strategy".
Speaking outside Birmingham City Council House, leader John Cotton said he was "determined to take every measure we can to address the very serious scenes we now see play out in certain parts of our city".
He added: "It's regrettable that we have had to take this step, but we cannot tolerate a situation that is causing harm and distress to communities across Birmingham.
"I respect the right to strike and protest, however actions on the picket line must be lawful and sadly the behaviour of some now means we are seeing a significant impact on residents and the city's environment.
"Unless we declare a major incident and deploy the waste service's contingency plan, then we would be unable to clear the backlog of waste on the streets or improve the frequency of collections."
Unite said it had not been informed about plans to declare a major incident before the announcement was made.
Ms Graham said: "Birmingham council could easily resolve this dispute but instead it seems hellbent on imposing its plan of demotions and pay cuts at all costs.
"If that involves spending far more than it would cost to resolve the strike fairly, they don't seem to care.
"We can only conclude that this massive pay cut for hundreds of refuse workers is only the start and this is really about stamping out any future opposition to its plans to unleash austerity 2.0 on Birmingham.
"I urge Birmingham council to rethink this disastrous strategy and to find a way forward that doesn't involve workers and communities having to pay for politicians' mistakes.
"Unite will never accept attacks on our members and we will continue to defend Birmingham's refuse workforce to the hilt."
So far, talks between Unite the union and council officials have not been successful.