SUFFOLK, Va. — A tractor-trailer carrying computer parts and batteries caught fire in Suffolk Thursday morning while driving on the Southwest Bypass.
The driver was able to pull the truck over and detach the cabin from its trailer, to separate the cab from the fire. Nobody was hurt.
A release from the city said emergency teams were first called to the truck, which was near Route 58 Northbound, around 11:30 a.m.
Suffolk Fire & Rescue put out the trailer fire, but an officer from Virginia Emergency Management needed to stay and make sure no hazardous materials got into a nearby retention pond.
At 1:20 p.m., teams were still at the scene. One lane of the road was closed.
The fire department planned to reattach the cab to the trailer, to move it to a safe place (away from the road) to sort through the burned and salvageable electronic cargo.
"These efforts are anticipated to take several hours, and crews will remain on scene due to the smoldering contents," the spokesperson said.
The Fire Marshal's Office is going to look into the cause of the fire.
