A pickup truck that was hauling approximately 6,000 pounds of onions caught on fire in Marion County on Saturday evening.
Shortly after 8:30 p.m., Ocala Fire Rescue units consisting of Engines 1 and 4, Rescue 1, Tower 1, Battalion Chief 11, and a Safety Officer were dispatched to a freight vehicle fire that was reported on Interstate 75, just south of exit 354.
Upon arrival, firefighters observed a pickup truck that was hauling an open trailer filled with thousands of onions, and the trailer was fully engulfed in flames.
The driver of the pickup truck had safely exited the vehicle.
OFR crews utilized Engine 1’s preconnected hose line to attack the flames while Engine 4’s crew members replenished the water supply. The fire was fully extinguished within three minutes.
According to the driver, the fire ignited shortly after one of the truck’s tires blew out. When the driver pulled over to check on the vehicle, he spotted flames coming from the trailer’s passenger side.
A total of six cargo bins, each containing 1,000 pounds of onions, were affected by the fire.
No injuries were reported.
The Florida Department of Transportation’s Road Rangers and Marion County Fire Rescue also responded.