Full-Sized Semi Carrying Carrots Lights On Fire, Backs I-70 Up For Hours
By Anna Maria Basquez
EVERGREEN, Colo. (CBS4) - Fire officials worked for hours Saturday morning and afternoon along Interstate 70 to get a fire out that started on a full-size semi truck carrying carrots.
"A good chunk of the carrots burned. Bugs Bunny will not be happy today," said Stacee Martin, assistant chief of Evergreen Fire Rescue, one of two fire companies responding to the scene and four agencies.
"It was a little challenging to get to it just because it was a refrigerated truck so it took a little extra time to access where the fire was."
The fire was on the eastbound side of I-70 near mile marker 248. Colorado State Patrol Trooper Gary Cutler said the full 72-foot trailer of the truck was a total loss. They were able to salvage the cab of the truck. He said the fire began early in the day.
"The call came out today at 8:05 a.m. this morning on the eastbound side," he said. "They thought they had it out. It flared back up so they had to work on it again and ended up closing and opening up the interstate there several times."
The scene concluded at 1:39 p.m. Saturday, he said.
"It was some sort of an issue with the vehicle," Cutler said. "It was probably a mechanical failure, like an oil leak, a gas leak, overheating…. I'm not sure."
There were no injuries to the driver, who was the only occupant in the vehicle, he said. Evergreen and Foothills Fire Rescue responded in addition to CSP and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.