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Logging truck catches fire on highway near Parksville

Driver, safety enforcement officer battled flames with fire extinguishers
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A Parksville firefighter looks into the engine compartment of a logging truck, which had been smoking minutes before, on southbound Highway 19 just north of the weigh scales after firefighters we called to a logging truck fire Tuesday, March 20. — Adam Kveton Photo

Parksville firefighters responded to a call of a logging truck fire on Highway 19 just before noon on Tuesday, March 20.

The logging truck in question was pulled over on the southbound side of the highway just north of the weigh scales.

“It looks like there was probably a ruptured fuel line,” Parksville Volunteer Fire Department assistant chief Tyrone Heigh said.

“Because it’s diesel, it ignites when it’s heated, so it got hot (and) ignited,” he said. “Then the driver (of the logging truck), she noticed it, so went out and got her fire extinguisher and, coincidentally, the commercial vehicles safety enforcement officer was right close by, grabbed his fire extinguisher and they doused it, and got the majority of the fire knocked out.”

Firefighters arrived and finished the job, and then stayed at the scene as another logging truck transferred the logs onto its trailer.

A section of the right lane of Highway 19 southbound, just north of the weigh scales near Parksville, was closed for about an hour, with firefighters leaving the scene at about 1 p.m.

No one was injured, said Heigh.

Send story tips to: adam.kveton@pqbnews.com