Semi-Trailer Fire Sunday On I-70

An Effingham firefighter checks for hotspots on a semi-truck.

The Efffingham Fire Department responded to a fully involved semi-trailer fire, located at exit 162 on I-70. The call came in at 11:11 am Sunday.

Upon arrival, they had a semi-truck disconnected from a trailer, the rear trailer was fully engulfed with fire, Effingham Fire Department began to extinguish the fire with a preconnected hose line.

When the fire was under control, they utilized Class A foam operations to smother the smoldering cargo.

The cargo was packaged pork product. A brake malfunction was the cause of the fire, brakes caught fire and extended into the trail and cargo.

Heartland Towing, ISP and city police assisted at the scene.

The semi had picked up the load at New Castle, Indiana and was traveling to Sarasota, Florida. The fire department was on scene for two hours. No injuries or deaths to report.

Effingham firefighters continue to hose down the contents of the semi-truck.