HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 08-08 Semitrailer catches fire on I-94 in Maplewood MAPLEWOOD REVIEW
Semitrailer catches fire on I-94 in
Maplewood
Submitted by admin on Tue, 08/08/2017 - 9:46am
A semitrailer caught fire in Maplewood July 30, just west of Century Avenue in the ditch between
Interstate 94 and Hudson Road.
Michael Mondor, chief of Maplewood EMS, a branch of the fire department, said the apparent cause of
the fire was a ruptured fuel tank.
“It appears that the driver swerved into the guardrail to avoid another vehicle,” Mondor explained, adding
that it happened around 10:15 p.m. “The guardrail punctured the semi’s saddle tank and immediately
started on fire. The driver was able to guide the vehicle into the ditch and safely exited the vehicle.”
By the time firefighters arrived to the scene, the cab was completely engulfed in flames and fire was
beginning to spread into the refrigerated trailer. The truck was mostly hauling turkey drumsticks.
Because there were no fire hydrants nearby, firefighters used a tanker truck to transport water from a
hydrant near Tanners Lake to a fire engine on scene.
The last of the flames were extinguished around 1:15 a.m. July 31.
Maplewood fire crews were assisted by crews from Oakdale and Woodbury, and no one was injured as a
result of the fire.
—Aundrea Kinney