ST. GEORGE — When Beaver Dam/Littlefield firefighters were called out to a vehicle fire in the middle of the night between the Nevada border and Littlefield, Arizona, early Friday, they likely didn’t expect it would be multiple vehicles. Or multiple vehicles in one vehicle.
By the time the firefighters got to mile marker 5 of northbound Interstate 15, they came upon not just a semitractor as they thought but a semitractor-car carrier with eight vehicles on the trailer and flames shooting up the back.
“We heard it was a semi and saw a car hauler and we realized we were going to need extra help,” Beaver Dam/Littlefield emergency medical technician Robby Buckner said.
The driver of the semi and his dog escaped the vehicle unharmed and pulled over to the side of the road. Despite that, northbound 15 was closed for a short time entering the gorge and limited to one lane until the scene was cleared shortly before sunrise.
The flames fully engulfed several vehicles, with the dark outlines of the chassis of vans and cars seen in the flames.
Buckner said it took about two hours to put out the fire, reported around 3:47 a.m. With some extra help from Mesquite Fire & Rescue, it was contained to the car trailer but ended up destroying five of the eight vehicles. The tailgate of another vehicle was damaged while two others were unscathed as was the semitractor.
Buckner was unsure whether the semi was carrying new or used vehicles.
“It was dark outside but they looked pretty nice,” Buckner said. “A couple of big vans and Audi.”
He added it was determined the fire began in the back, but firefighters were uncertain of the exact cause of the fire.
“It was most likely the brakes because there were skid marks,” Buckner said. “It started in the back. The semi wasn’t on fire so protected the cars in the front.”
Photo Gallery
Firefighters put water on a semitractor-car hauler burning up in the early-morning hours, Littlefield, Arizona, Oct. 27, 2023 | Photo courtesy Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire District, St. George News Firefighters work on a semitractor-car hauler burning up in the early-morning hours, Littlefield, Arizona, Oct. 27, 2023 | Photo courtesy Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire District, St. George News Charred remains of vehicles and the car hauler portion of a semitractor-car hauler that burned up in the early-morning hours, Littlefield, Arizona, Oct. 27, 2023 | Photo courtesy Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire District, St. George News Charred remains of vehicles and the car hauler portion of a semitractor-car hauler that burned up in the early-morning hours, Littlefield, Arizona, Oct. 27, 2023 | Photo courtesy Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire District, St. George News Firefighters put water on a semitractor-car hauler burning up in the early-morning hours, Littlefield, Arizona, Oct. 27, 2023 | Photo courtesy Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire District, St. George News
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