ROCKINGHAM — Sparks from a disconnected trailer appear to be the cause of a vehicle fire on U.S. 220 earlier this week.
According to a report from the Rockingham Fire Department, crews were dispatched at 10:06 a.m. Monday to a report of an 18-wheeler on fire.
When firefighters arrived, the trailer containing wood chips, which was disconnected from the cab, was heavily involved in flames, according to the report.
Once the fire was contained, firefighters began to investigate the cause.
The driver, who is not named in the report, reportedly told firefighters that the trailer had broken and friction from the road sent sparks flying into the wood chips, causing them to catch fire.
After investigating, firefighters concluded “that this was pretty likely.”
The N.C. Department of Transportation was contacted to clean up the wood chips that had spilled onto the roadway, according to the report.
Fire crews returned to the station just after noon.
