Tire Fires

[Broompilot]

Expierenced a Fire last week outside of Vegas. (not mine) Truck was a total loss I tried to help to put it out. Tanks began hissing when I got up to it. Tires started blowing parts scattering everywhere grass fires all around us only thing left was a charred cab.

The most amazing thing about this is how fast it happened less than four minutes the entire truck was engulfed in flames. The only thing the driver was able to get out of the truck was his log book that was it. He tried uncuppling the trailer but it just spread to fast. I tried with my extinguisher no luck to hot and all that poping and hissing I was not willing to risk my saftey.

Anything anyone out there has done and been successfull? I would have had to of had 6 extinguishers as bad as that fire was when I came up to it.

Trooper said that cars where catching on fire at the rate of one a day, to hot, tire pressure to low was causing this. Trucks about three a month. New tires used tires caps he said made very little difference he had seen it all.

My guess by the apperance of the driver, he failed to PTI and tire check. Probably had grease back there and than add a tire failure and it was to hot and to late.

I discovered a rear axle seal had failed on my truck. Kept it clean as could be until I was done with the load. It is now ready to pU, heat? or just a simple failure or combination of both?

 

[RichM]

Good post BP. I came across I 10 in California once and it was in the middle of August. In the Indio area the outside temp was 129 degrees. The A/C in the truck could not keep up. I was eastbound and every time I tried to go over 50 mph the engine temp gauge would go right into the red. There was that long 10 mile hill ahead so I decided to stop,get a room and leave early in the AM. When I stopped the tires were almost too hot to touch. So watch out in extreme heat,wonder how the folks in Iraq cope.

 

[Glen Rice]

Hey you guys "this is my fire, you go find your own"! maybe his insurance policy had a double money claus for fire? There are worst ways to go out of business!

 

[hdl]

About a year and a half ago I saved the day for one driver. He was on the side of the road with a dump truck pulling a trailer with a backhoe on it. Smoke was billowing from the trailer. I pulled my mixer over and because I had plenty of water left on board I was able put his fire out. I was on my way back to Austin from Giddings, TX.

Don't recall how many gallons I used but it was a considerable amount to put it out. Luckily the fire had not engulfed the trailer yet. With the backhoe that would have been one expensive fire.

 

[Broompilot]

The only reason I attempted was I to put one out last year before Expediting. City of Charlotte truck with a trailer on it. No one had a fire extinguisher except me the guy in a PU truck.

It was easy to put out. The I-15 one nothing happened as I sprayed.

Should I bill the City of Charlotte for my loss of one extinguisher???

 

[Crazynuff]

You should have asked for payment of the extinguisher before using it . I guess the truck would be history before the req forms were filed out in triplicate though . That happened in Atlanta a few years ago though . A kid pulled into a service station ( IU guess I should call it nonservice ) with an underhod fire just starting . He asked the owner for a fire extinguisher . The owner asked for $20 or no extinguisher . The kid didn't have the money so the vehickle burned up before the fire department got there . If it was me I would have stopped the car as close to the gas pumps as possible . With all the business lost due to publicity the station owner came out the big loser .