Firefighters were called out last Tuesday, Oct 4, when a tractor-trailer caught fire in a building at the landfill.
The first call came into the 911 center at 7:48 p.m. from a caller on the Greenway reporting she could see smoke and heard an explosion. A second call came in a minutes later from someone saying they too had heard an explosion and could see smoke in the area of the landfill.
The fire started in debris in the trailer bed, according to Capt. Ben Ormond from Franklin Fire and Rescue. He said there was too much damage to pinpoint the precise origin of the fire. As the fire spread to the cab of the truck, the fuel and hydraulic tanks ruptured.
With shingles burning in the trailer bed and the flammable liquids, the fire chief said it was a challenge to get the fire extinguished. “It took a lot to get it put out.”
Additionally, an ember from the fire ignited a dumpster of cardboard, and the N.C. Forest Service was called out to a brush fire that was sparked from the incident.
Solid Waste Director Chris Stahl said the truck was a total loss and the building where it was parked was damaged in the fire. In addition to Franklin Fire and Rescue, fire departments from Mountain Valley, Cullasaja Gorge, Clark’s Chapel and the N.C. Forest Service were dispatched along with EMS, the fire marshal and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office. The Town of Franklin Public Works and Duke Energy were also notified.