Oct. 20--Firefighters were able to put out a fire in a tractor-trailer that occurred Monday morning along Interstate 40.

Mike Fulbright, assistant chief of the Nebo Volunteer Fire Department, said that he and other Nebo firefighters responded to a 7:15 a.m. call about a tractor-trailer fire in the eastbound lane of I-40 near Exit 90.

The rig's trailer somehow caught fire while it was traveling on the interstate. Someone had reportedly notified the driver on his CB radio that there was smoke coming out of his trailer. The driver, whose name was not available at deadline, pulled the rig over and unhooked the trailer from his truck, according to Fulbright.

Firefighters arrived on the scene and were able to put out the fire in the trailer. The rig is owned by Garbage Disposal Service Inc. (GDS) of Conover and was carrying a load of compressed scrap cardboard, according to Fulbright.

"We extinguished it pretty quick," he said, adding no one was injured in the blaze.

Glenwood and West End firefighters also responded to the call. The cause of the fire is still undetermined.

The trailer was pulled up to the truck stop at Exit 90. The damage is estimated to be around $5,500.

Fulbright said the trailer could be repaired and put back into service.

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Copyright (c) 2009, The McDowell News, Marion, N.C.

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