No injuries after explosion

MICHAEL CATERINA
Presentation Editor

FRANCISCO —An explosion caught the trailer of a semi truck on fire at Highway 64 Recycling Thursday afternoon.

Chris Sokeland, the driver of the truck, said he was getting ready to drive onto the scale that weighs the trucks full of scrap metal at the business when he heard a loud explosion come from the bed of the semi.

“It scared the heck out of me,” Sokeland said, as Princeton and Francisco firefighters worked to put the fire out just after 2 p. m. at the facility on Ind. 64, between County Roads 350 and 400 East.

Sokeland said his boss moved the truck around to the front of the building so the fire departments could get to it.

“I think it was a gas tank that still had fuel in it,” said Sokeland. The fire was contained to the truck’s trailer bed.

Firefighters worked with employees to remove the scrap metal with an excavator, and spray it down to stop the fire.

Princeton Fire Territory Captain Kevin McKannan said the truck was in flames when crews arrived, but they were able to get it under control with no injuries.

Traffic was slowed during the incident, with tankers parked in the westbound lane of Ind. 64