Flames engulf a tractor trailer on Atlantic Highway (Route 1) in Waldoboro on Friday, Jan. 30. The truck was a total loss while the trailer sustained some damage, according to Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer. (Photo courtesy Waldoboro Fire Department)
A stretch of Route 1 in Waldoboro was closed for four hours as firefighters battled a fire that destroyed a tractor trailer on Friday, Jan. 30.
The driver, the only occupant in the vehicle, was uninjured in the incident, according to Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer.
Nick Steele Jr., 65, of Fairfield, was driving a blue 2016 Freightliner owned by Waldoboro-based Northeast Transport Inc. south on Atlantic Highway (Route 1) when the truck began to smoke, according to Waldoboro Police Chief John Lash.
Steele stopped and exited the vehicle, which burst into flame shortly after, Lash said.
The fire was fully involved when the first responders arrived on scene, according to Smeltzer.
Responders closed Atlantic Highway from the intersection of Route 32 to the intersection of Old Route 1 as firefighters worked to contain the blaze. The sub-freezing temperatures posed a challenge in firefighters’ response, as the water froze underfoot as they worked on scene, Smeltzer said.
The remains of a tractor trailer sit on Atlantic Highway (Route 1) in Waldoboro on Friday, Jan. 30. The cause of the fire is unknown but is believed to have been from a mechanical issue, according to Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer. (Photo courtesy Waldoboro Fire Department)
“As soon as the water was touching the ground it was freezing and making it difficult to stand up or walk around the scene,” Smeltzer said.
The Maine Department of Transportation brought sand and salt to help responders combat the hazardous quickly forming ice on scene.
The truck was totaled in the incident and the trailer sustained some damage, according to Smeltzer.
The driver declined treatment from Waldoboro Emergency Medical Services on the scene, Smeltzer said.
Due to the condition of the truck after the fire, the exact cause of the fire is undetermined, but is believed to be from a mechanical issue, Smeltzer said.
The Nobleboro, Jefferson, Bremen, and Warren fire departments also responded to the scene. Automaster Collision Center, of Spruce Head, and Tyler’s Towing and Auto Repair, of Waldoboro, also assisted in clearing the scene.
Firefighters work to put out a blaze that consumed the truck of a tractor trailer on Atlantic Highway (Route 1) in Waldoboro on Friday, Jan. 30. The driver, the vehicle’s sole occupant, was uninjured, according to Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer. (Photo courtesy Waldoboro Fire Department)
