The driver of the tractor trailer that was fully engulfed Saturday evening along the southbound lane of Interstate 79 suspected something was wrong a few miles before things went from being concerned to being alarming.

 

According to Bridgeport Fire Chief Phil Hart, the driver was hauling a load of vehicles south when the drive noticed some trouble. The trouble, said Hart, were from the brakes on the trailer.

 

“He noticed smoke coming off the wheels near the rear of the trailer,” said Hart. “He got out and checked them back at the 125 and a half mile marker. He checked everything out and decided that he would go the rest area and call to have someone look at it because he didn’t want to be pulled over along the interstate with all the traffic (coming home from the West Virginia University game).”

 

The truck made it a little more than a mile further. At mile marker 124, which was just a bit south of the bridge on Jerry Dove Drive that crosses Interstate 79, the driver pulled over and knew there were some issues. Those issues became major one.

 

“Initially, our department was dispatched for a truck fire and that’s what they headed out for. In the meantime, and out-of-county police officer traveling from the WVU game radioed in that it was a tractor trailer hauling cars and that the vehicle was heavily involved,” said Hart.

 

When the fire department arrived, the rear of the trailer and four cars were engulfed. Flames were shooting dozens of feet skyward for those passing by in both lanes before traffic was halted in the southbound lane. There were a total of six cars being on the trailer, said Hart.

 

“Our guys attacked it in the right manner and as quickly and safely as they could,” said Hart. “They actually kept it from getting to the other two vehicles along with the cab of the tractor trailer.”

 

Hart said no one was injured. He said the preliminary cause is a mechanical issue with the brakes and there is nothing suspicious about the fire warranting a state fire marshal investigation.

 

“There was no danger to anyone once the area was secured, but there were traffic problems. The southbound lanes were shut down will we were containing the blaze,” said Hart. “You hate to have that type of traffic situation, but this wasn’t your standard vehicle fire; it was about as far from ordinary as you can get. There were four cars and hydraulic lines that burned and melted and you also had fluid dripping down burning and melting things.”

 

Hart said the department contained all fluids from the fire. Nothing, he said, got into any drains.

 

“With the assistance of Hillbilly Towing, we were able to life the cars from the tractor trailer to make sure they were fully extinguished,” said hart.

 

Bridgeport Fire Department Captain Scott Wilburn and the A Shift crew responded to the scene and Hart said they did excellent work. He also praised the Bridgeport Police Department and the West Virginia Division of Highways for their assistance. The fire department, he said, was on scene for two and a half hours.

 

The call for the fire came in Saturday just prior to 8:30 p.m.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo courtesy of Gary Garrett. Bottom photo courtesy of WDTV. You can access their weekend story HERE.