Islanders are being urged to ensure disposable barbecues have cooled down fully before throwing them away following the blaze near Grève d’Azette.
Firefighters and the police were met by large amounts of thick black smoke billowing from a doorway on the ground floor of the complex when they attended the scene at about 10.15 pm on Thursday.
Crews wearing breathing apparatus used a hose-reel jet to tackle the fire, which is believed to have been started by a still warm disposable barbecue, before searching adjacent store rooms to ensure the blaze had not spread. A ventilation fan was also used to clear smoke from the bin store before firefighters were stood down.
The fire comes a week after emergency services were called to another bin fire in Marett Road, near Havre des Pas, which is thought to have been started deliberately.
Andy Gallie, watch commander for the Fire and Rescue Service, urged Islanders to take care when getting rid of disposable barbecues.
‘During the summer months Jersey Fire and Rescue sees a significant increase in the number of refuse bin fires, primarily due to the careless disposal of throw-away barbecues,’ he said. ‘After use, please allow any barbecues to fully cool down, before disposing of them in a refuse bin.’
