Fiery Time on Keller Drive Wednesday Night

A semi trailer caught on fire on Keller Drive Wednesday night.

The call came about 8:15pm. The fire was confined to the trailer, as the cab was disconnected and moved from the fire scene.

Effingham Fire Chief Bob Tutko said the semi driver was hauling a load from Indiana. When he exited the interstate onto Keller Drive, the driver hit the brakes and saw sparks that ignited one of the tires on the left rear side of the trailer. That eventually ignited the other tires on that side. The fire then progressed up the side of the trailer.

An investigation of the trailer once the fire was put out was that the brakes locked up. 

The trailer was a refrigerator unit, although the four plastic totes inside filled with insulation were not being refrigerated. The fire caused the aluminum coating on the trailer to melt onto the pavement, so fire crews did some cleanup work to remove much of the coating from the roadway.

Once Heartland Towing lifted the trailer allowing a technician to release the brakes, the unit was removed from the scene.

Once again, no one was injured in the incident.