Bourbon Fire Department was toned out by Cencom for a tractor trailer on fire westbound I-44 at the 220.2 mile marker, during the ice and snow storm we were experiencing in our area on February 8th, 2021. Call came in early morning around 7 am…I took the North Service Road to avoid what I figured might become a traffic snarl on the interstate, and saw heavy black smoke when I got to the Leffingwell Bridge over 44. I parked down by Crawford Electric on Davidson Road and trotted down the ditchline to the scene, found a Patriot Tow Truck parked on the Service Road facing east, waiting on firefighters to arrive. The truck was heavily involved in fire right behind the cab on the passenger side, involving the rear cab passenger tire and spreading to the front of the trailer…
I could hear Bourbon`s Pumper approaching as I shot the two photos above and they arrived seconds later…Tony Boero driving the truck with a young crew of firefighters on board, packed up and ready to fight fire…
Fires 2021-0208 Semi Fire WB 44 220.2 MM Bourbon District AVI 200
They stretched out the hoseline with assistance from the Patriot Tow Driver and bled the line of air, preparing to attack the fire…
and they put a quick knockdown on the fire just as Sullivan Fire Department`s Pumper 854 arrived with Captain Dave Konys and his crew…
Fires 2021-0208 Semi Fire at Bourbon AVI 217
Once the smoke and steam cleared away, it was obvious to firefighters that the intense heat from the burning tire had melted and burned away the aluminum cover of the front wall of the trailer and fire had penetrated to the load of wheat mix grain inside the trailer. Sullivan firefighters laddered the trailer and ascended to check for fire extension inside the trailer…
Fires 2021-0208 Semi Fire WB 44 Bourbon AVI 230
Fires 2021-0208 Semi Fire WB 44 at Bourbon AVI 248
Great teamwork by two departments to a quick resolution in nasty weather conditions !!