In response to the piles of garbage beginning to pile up on city street as a result of the civil service strikes, Israel’s fire brigades have begun an extensive campaign to inform the public of the dangers of burning the trash.
Itim News Agency reports that the strong smell emanating from the piles of garbage are causing residents to resort to burning it. Fire fighters are listing three life-threatening dangers in their arguments against private burning of garbage:
1. Security concerns. Terror organizations can take advantage of the situation and plant latent bombs or bullets in the piles of garbage that can explode or fire when lit
2. Health. Burning the garbage can release various toxins and noxious gases into the air which can have serious health risks to the neighborhood
3. Environmental. The fires may rage out of control and become massive blazes
The Commissioner of Safety and Fire Services adds that in November 2002, the last time a strike prevented garbage collection, a pile of garbage was set on fire near an office building on Ben Avigdor St. in Tel Aviv. The fire spread to the building and it burned to the ground.
Safety and Fire Services representative Shimon Romach also called on the public not to park their cars near concentrations of garbage, for fear that someone will in fact set it on fire, causing damage to the car.
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa have hired private contractors to haul away garbage from some of the more crowded and security-sensitive areas.
Itim News Agency reports that the strong smell emanating from the piles of garbage are causing residents to resort to burning it. Fire fighters are listing three life-threatening dangers in their arguments against private burning of garbage:
1. Security concerns. Terror organizations can take advantage of the situation and plant latent bombs or bullets in the piles of garbage that can explode or fire when lit
2. Health. Burning the garbage can release various toxins and noxious gases into the air which can have serious health risks to the neighborhood
3. Environmental. The fires may rage out of control and become massive blazes
The Commissioner of Safety and Fire Services adds that in November 2002, the last time a strike prevented garbage collection, a pile of garbage was set on fire near an office building on Ben Avigdor St. in Tel Aviv. The fire spread to the building and it burned to the ground.
Safety and Fire Services representative Shimon Romach also called on the public not to park their cars near concentrations of garbage, for fear that someone will in fact set it on fire, causing damage to the car.
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa have hired private contractors to haul away garbage from some of the more crowded and security-sensitive areas.