Lexington, Neb. — Shortly after 5 a.m. Friday, Lexington Volunteer Fire Department was paged to a semi-trailer fire six miles west of Lexington in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80. Fire Chief Bo Berry says upon arrival at the scene, firefighters could clearly see the fire…
Berry says the cargo was ignited by the fire, but at some point, the semi driver was able to unhook the truck from the trailer and avoid damage to the truck itself…
Lexington Volunteer Fire Department responded with three trucks, (a pumper truck & two tankers) and 10 firefighters. One of two tankers sent to the scene was involved in a minor accident at the intersection of U.S. Highway 283 & Cattlemen Drive in south Lexington, causing the tanker to be disabled.
Lexington then requested mutual aid from Cozad Fire & Rescue for an additional tanker for support. Two firefighters arrived with a tanker, but their services were not needed. They stayed on the scene until the fire was extinguished, as a precautionary measure. Chief Berry says upon deployment of the hose, firefighters were able to extinguish the flames and control the fire in about 20 minutes.
The trailer was a total loss. No other vehicles were involved. There were no injuries reported.
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic control. One lane of traffic remained open the entire time Lexington firefighters were on scene. The trailer was towed from the scene. Berry estimated the loss of the trailer at $60,000, with the estimated value of the contents at $20,000.
