No injuries were reported in a Tuesday night truck fire on Interstate 30 near the Caddo Valley exit.
The driver of an 18-wheeler reportedly noticed heavy smoke emitting from the engine area and pulled onto the shoulder at the 77 eastbound mile-marker, where he fruitlessly attempted to douse the flames with an on-board extinguisher before unhooking the trailer from the truck.
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“The driver said the truck started smoking, and the farther he drove the heavier the smoke got,” Caddo Valley Fire Chief Chris Sparks said.
The blaze quickly made its way into the truck’s cab as firemen from both Caddo Valley and Arkadelphia arrived on scene.
The fire was first reported at about 8:35 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. Both eastbound lanes were at a standstill for about 15 minutes as firefighters showed up to battle the flames.
The front half of the truck was fully engulfed. Sparks said the fire never made it to the fuel tanks behind the cab, but the truck was a total loss. The contents of the disconnected trailer were reportedly miscellaneous auto parts.