Area firefighters spent about three hours at a semi fire reported at 8:56 a.m. today at the 78 mile marker on Interstate 65.
German Township Fire Department, assisted by Edinburgh Fire Department, arrived to find a semi that had run into a ditch and came to rest in the trees, said German Township Deputy Chief Matt Lynch.
The semi cab and empty trailer was nearly fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, Lynch said. Incident commander Capt. Jake Goodin requested water tankers from Clifford, Flat Rock and Harrison Township as there are no fire hydrants along the interstate.
The fire was under control in about 20 minutes and a wrecker pulled the semi out of the tree line. About 9,000 gallons of water was used to extinguish the fire, Lynch said. Firefighters remained at the scene for about three hours as the remaining diesel fuel was off loaded, Lynch said.
The semi driver refused medical treatment at the scene. No firefighters were injured.
Indiana State Police and the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department assisted at the scene.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
