Dump trailer catches fire on I-15 south; driver escapes without injury

View of truck in flames off I-15 by Beaver Dam, Collinston, Utah, July 12, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Fire Chief Jeff Hunt, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A semitruck hauling two empty industrial trailers from Barney Trucking caught fire Tuesday morning on Interstate 15 near mile marker 10 and Beaver Dam. 

The truck was southbound when its rear tire began to billow black smoke, according to the Bever Dam Littlefield Fire District. The driver pulled off I-15 onto a desert flat of land void of flammable vegetation, grabbed his belongings from the back of the cab and exited the vehicle without any injuries.

Fire Chief Jeff Hunt of the Beaver Dam Littlefield Fire District was first on the scene around 9:30 a.m. He said the fire burst in the rear wheel of the truck and progressed toward the front of the vehicle, eventually incinerating the cab and hood. 

Hunt said the semitruck’s haulers were empty, and another fire responder brought 3,500 gallons of water to douse the flames. The fire died around 11 a.m.

Another Barney Trucking hauler arrived at the scene and transported the truck driver and the two empty trailers south on I-15.

This report is based on statements by fire department personnel and may not contain all of the findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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