Things heat up at the town dump

Ron Swihart said he likes his job supervising the Town of Belgium transfer site, but March 30 wasn’t a highlight.

Someone put hot ashes in the compactor, and Swihart had to call the fire department to have them extinguished.

“I wish people had common sense and wouldn’t do that,” he said.

About half of the contents of the compactor were removed with a backhoe, and the fire department doused them. The rest was dumped out and then soaked, Belgium Fire Chief Dan Birenbaum said.

“People have got to realize you just can’t put hot ashes in there,” Birenbaum said.

Advanced Disposal brought an open-top dumpster for the soaked trash and then hauled it away, Swihart said.

The incidents are rare. It’s the second time he has had to deal with hot ashes.

“It’s so sad. It’s always the 5% that ruin it for everybody else,” Town Chairman Tom Winker said at last week’s Town Board meeting.

Town Clerk Ginger Murphy said she hasn’t received any bills for the incident yet.

While ashes aren’t reusable, Swihart said he finds plenty of stuff that still may be utilized. He gives many items to Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, the Salvation Army and other resale stores.

“I’m all for trying to help people out,” he said.