Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 03/02) - An early morning blaze in Frame Lake South completely destroyed a transport truck Tuesday.

The vehicle, owned by Mullen Trucking, was parked in the back of the Monkey Tree parking lot.

Firefighters raced to the scene after receiving the initial call at 1:06 a.m.

"By the time we got there, it was completely engulfed," said deputy fire chief Clem St. Croix.

The fire burned with such intensity that some soft metal parts of the truck actually melted.

Although St. Croix said it took firefighters just five or six minutes to bring the blaze under control, the wreckage was still smouldering hours later.

St. Croix said firefighters had to set up a perimeter around the truck to contain fuel that leaked from one of its tanks.

The nearby gas bars and large propane tanks were never in any danger, said St. Croix.

"If there was a good place for it to burn, that was it," said St. Croix.

The fire is believed to have started in the engine compartment. St. Croix did not have a damage estimate.

Robin Plett, business manager for Mullen Trucking's Yellowknife office, declined to comment.