A recycling truck driver in Sammamish was forced to dump his haul of materials on the roadway on Thursday after a fire broke out in the back of his truck.

Sammamish police reported that a driver with Republic Services noticed smoke billowing from the rear of the truck while driving his route. To help disperse the fire, the driver dumped his load on to the roadway, approximately near the corner of Southeast 23rd Street and 200th Avenue Southeast, and called 911 to report the issue. The Sammamish Police Department and Eastside Fire and Rescue responded to the scene, as did a supervisor with Republic Services.

The fire department found a butane torch, which had been placed in a recycling bin and which the first responders believe was the cause of the fire.

Canisters that contain toxic material, such as butane and propane bottles, are considered hazardous waste. Sammamish police instructed community members to dispose of their hazardous waste via King County’s Wastemobile or the hazardous waste drop-off location at the Factoria Transfer Station, located at 13800 SE 32nd St. in Bellevue.

Hazardous waste includes items marked with signs of ‘Caution,’ ‘Warning,’ ‘Danger’ and/or ‘Poison.’