Fire destroys semi-truck full of apples, shuts Highway 97 north of Madras

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A semi-truck full of apples caught fire and was destroyed on U.S. Highway 97 north of Madras Friday afternoon, shutting the highway for about 90 minutes, a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy said.

Deputy Jeremy Skeels said the long-haul trucker was headed south and pulled over about 15 miles north of Madras when the engine overheated and soon learned a fire had started under the hood.

The driver, who was uninjured, tried to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher, to no avail. Soon, flames spread to the cab and then to the trailer, which became fully engulfed. The tires exploded from the heat, Skeels added.

Deputies and Jefferson County Fire crews were dispatched to the scene just after 3 p.m. The fire spread to nearby grass, but a nearby rancher brought a water truck to help put it out, Skeels said.