The Merritt Fire Rescue Department (MFRD) has put out a fire that fully engulfed a semi-truck this afternoon on the Coquihalla Highway just north of exit 286.
Fire Chief Dave Tomkinson said the fire appears to have started in the truck and spread into the load it was carrying.
He said the lone, male driver of the truck escaped the fire unscathed.
“It’s yet to be determined what [caused the fire] — if there was mechanical failure or what the issue was — but [the driver] did pull to the side of the road and was able to exit the vehicle, but wasn’t able to control the fire,” Tomkinson said.
The truck could be seen engulfed in flames just before 4 p.m. this afternoon (Feb. 17) and a large plume of black smoke could also be spotted from around Merritt billowing into the sky. (Cole Wagner/Herald)
The truck could be seen engulfed in flames just before 4 p.m. this afternoon (Feb. 17) and a large plume of black smoke could also be spotted from around Merritt billowing into the sky.
RCMP on scene allowed northbound traffic past the fire and the southbound lanes were open.
Tomkinson said the truck was carrying a mixed load of items.
“As far as we can tell it has from frozen foods to magazines to just [about] everything,” he said.
As there is no fire hydrant nearby, multiple fire engines had to shuttle water to the scene to extinguish the blaze.
The fire department left the scene earlier this afternoon, but were back at it after 6 p.m. as the fire flared up again.
Tomkinson told the Herald the smouldering remains of the truck don’t pose a risk to the public.
Fire engines had to shuttle water to the scene as there is no fire hydrant on the side of the road. (Michael Potestio/Herald)
The fire fully engulfed the semi-truck, but firefighters had it out in short order. (Michael Potestio/Herald)
Northbound traffic was allowed through as firefighters dealt with the burning semi0truck on the side of the road. (Michael Potestio/Herald)
