By Jared Felkins
The Lebanon Democrat
LEBANON, Tenn. — Assistant fire Chief Jason Baird said the dump truck was hauling old tires and wheels north on Highway 109 just after 3 p.m. when another driver alerted the truck driver that his load was on fire at the intersection of Business Park Drive.
The truck driver stopped and discovered the contents were on fire.
Baird said within minutes, the truck’s cab was too hot to stay inside it. He said firefighters arrived and worked to put out the blaze but realized their efforts to get water over the sides weren’t working. So the firefighters put a ladder up to get a better position on the fire.
After a few minutes, Baird said one of the firefighters lost balance and fell face first to the asphalt in full gear and while wearing an air pack. He said two other firefighters pulled the injured firefighter away from the burning truck to assess the injuries.
Wilson Emergency Management Agency paramedics took the injured firefighter to the University Medical Center emergency room. Baird said the firefighter had facial X-rays and several other evaluations before doctors diagnosed a fractured wrist and numerous bumps and bruises.
Doctors set the firefighter’s wrist in a cast, Baird said. The firefighter’s name wasn’t released due to potential Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act violations.
Meanwhile, the firefighters who remained at the scene were able to access the truck’s cab to dump the load of tires onto the road to fully put out the fire. Baird said a Lebanon Public Works backhoe was called in to load the remaining contents into another dump truck.
“The only equipment used from the street department was a backhoe,” Baird said. “We had all northbound lanes closed until we could remove some of the contents of the truck. Our concern was a traffic backup on Interstate 40 because of such heavy congestion.
”...On a Friday afternoon on 109, our options were limited to the quickest way to prevent further danger to the public.”
Baird said the cause of the fire was ruled accidental. He said some of the materials loaded on the truck were possibly in an area where a fire was previously started.
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(c)2015 The Lebanon Democrat, Tenn.
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