By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
UPDATE: All lanes of US 30 closed due to the truck fire are now open.
A Tiro truck driver hauling a load of steel had a bad start to his Tuesday morning. Brad Edgington was headed east on US 30 when his semi-truck pulling coiled steel on a flatbed trailer caught fire just west of the County Road 35 overpass.
Whetstone Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Motter discussed getting the fire out.
“We received a call, a semi-truck on fire on the eastbound lanes of Route 30. We called Bucyrus City (Fire Department) for mutual aid,” Motter said. “Upon my arrival the driver was out of the vehicle, Bucyrus city was extinguishing the fire. We assisted putting out the fire. The truck was a total loss.”
Edgington was hauling steel for Northern Steel and his load did not appear damaged. Motter said the cause of the fire was not yet known.
Traffic was backed up for miles as the eastbound lanes of US 30 were completely closed while firefighters put out the fire and had the truck towed. In addition to the Bucyrus City and Whetstone Township fire departments, The Ohio State Highway Patrol and LifeStar Ambulance also responded to the scene.
The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation.