An aerosol catching fire inside a dustcart led to rubbish being dumped all over the road so firefighters could put it out this morning.
Tonnes of paper, cans and cardboard had to be dumped on the corner of Albion Hill and Quebec Street earlier today.
The fire follows a similar one which broke out in July when a battery caught fire, leading the council to warn people batteries can no longer be put in household collections.
However, aerosols are on the list of recyclables picked up by Cityclean, Brighton and Hove City Council’s refuse collection service.
A council spokesman said: “We believe it was actually a metal can aerosol that caught fire. There was no damage to the truck.
“Our crew and driver responded very well, and so did our street cleaning team that helped with the clear up.”
A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue said: “At 11.04am, we were called to attend a vehicle fire on Albion Hill, Brighton. Crews from Preston Circus and Roedean attended.
“On arrival, firefighters tackled a small fire in the rear compartment of a recycling bin lorry. Crews used one hose reel jet to extinguish the fire.
“The cause has been deemed accidental.”
