Fort Providence volunteer firefighters put out a vehicle fire on Highway 3 on Saturday. The fire burned five vehicles on a tractor trailer destined for two car dealerships in the city, causing an estimated $300,000 in damages. - photo courtesy of Thorsten Gohl |
Dealership cars burn in highway fire
Five vehicles on tractor trailer destroyed in $300,000 blaze
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Published Friday, January 16, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Two Yellowknife car dealers, who have been in the business for decades, say they have never heard of a car carrier catching on fire until now.
Five vehicles on a tractor trailer heading to Yellowknife on Highway 3 were destroyed by fire just outside Fort Providence on Jan. 10. It's believed the fire started in the rear wheel of the trailer.
Four of the torched vehicles were headed to Yellowknife Motors.
"I have heard of transports catching on fire, just not one carrying cars," said Greg Boucher, owner of Yellowknife Motors.
"But the hubs (on tires) can overheat and if the hydraulics are too close then it's like holding a match to it."
Boucher said five vehicles in total were headed to Yellowknife Motors.
"One of them was over the truck cab so when the driver disconnected the trailer he was able to salvage one of our vehicles," said Boucher.
The vehicles are covered by the carrier's insurance, he said.
Perry Kaye, general manager at Yellowknife Chrysler, said in the 24 years he has been in the business, this is the first fire on a trailer like this that he has ever heard of.
"My first concern was for the driver. They bring vehicles to Yellowknife like this just about every week," he said. "If I thought there was any weirdness involved in this, I'd be looking into it."
Kaye said he wasn't 100 per cent sure but he thought one or two of the vehicles were headed to his dealership.
The Fort Providence fire department received two calls about the fire around 8 p.m. that day.
It took about 20 minutes for the volunteers to make it to the scene north of the Deh Cho Bridge.
The driver was able to disconnect the trailer before the fire spread to the truck.
However, the driver sustained injuries. RCMP Const. Elenore Sturko confirmed police transported the driver to the hamlet's health centre where he was treated and released.
The fire is estimated by the fire department to have caused about $300,000 worth of damage.
Fort Providence Fire Chief Andy Sapp said crews applied water to the two pickup trucks and three cars that were burning, but were unable to save them. It's unclear if other vehicles were saved.
"It was hard to tell when we saw them," he said.
Photos from the scene that night show large flames coming from the vehicles on the open-sided trailer.
Sapp said fire crews were at the scene for about an hour.
Gravel was placed on the roadway because ice was forming on the pavement from the water used to put out the flames.
"It was a good response by the (fire department) members," he said.
Sapp said calls for truck issues on the highway aren't unusual, but he can't recall a vehicle hauler catching fire before.
The highway was closed for about an hour and then was down to one lane until the trailer could be removed the next day.
- with files from Shane Magee
