Garbage truck fire causes some delays in Seward County, but customers are ‘so understanding’

MILFORD, Neb. (KLKN) – A garbage truck fire earlier this month put a local waste management company in a bind.

Bel-Con Refuse, based in Seward County, offers a wide range of services, from recycling to yard waste.

“We care about our customers,” Michael Feulner said. “we don’t look at customers as a number on a piece of paper. We look at customers as face to face.”

But over the last couple of weeks, the company’s service has been tight due to one of its trucks being out of commission.

At the beginning of this month, a fire broke out inside the truck, leaving it useless until repairs are made.

The cause of the fire is unknown, but Fuelner and his wife, Abbey, say somebody threw something away that they shouldn’t have.

Abbey said some customers may see a delay in pickup times, but the company is working hard to remedy the situation.

“We’ve had to be late with a couple routes, but our customers are so easy to work with, and they’re understanding,” she said. “We feel like we’re on track. We had an additional truck for backup.”

Bel-Con is using this situation as a reminder about the do’s and don’ts of what to put in the trash.

“If it’s something that you believe is going to catch fire is the biggest thing,” Michael said. “If there’s a hot cigarette butt, coals, car battery, ashes.”

Other forbidden items might not seem as obvious, like wet pain containers.

Hazardous items are accepted at drop off areas provided by your local county offices.

If you are unsure about whether something is hazardous, it is best to do some research.

Bel-Con asks that you contact them before throwing away questionable items.