A lorry driver is reported to have tried to drive his blazing lorry as far out of the way of following traffic as he could on the A30 today before having to abandon it.
Once he jumped out of the driver’s seat to safety, the flames engulfed the cab. Despite his brave actions, the blazing lorry has caused chaos as traffic remains diverted off the A30 towards Lifton this afternoon.
A local farmer reported hearing an explosion and seeing the lorry cab burning fiercely at about 12noon. The fire was extinguished by firefighters and the lorry remains destroyed between Roadford and Lifton. The road was briefly fully closed when emergency services attended. However one lane was reopened. One lane remains closed until the lorry is cleared.
The lorry driver is thought to be unhurt. He was seen sitting on the roadside verge after having apparently driven his blazing truck as close to the left side of his lane as he could, so as to reduce blocking the road as much as possible, before the heat and flames forced him out.
Diverted traffic has been queuing throughout Lifton and Lewdown along the old A30, with roadworks traffic lights at one end of Lifton adding to delays.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: “We are currently assisting our fire colleagues with a temporary road closure on the A30 at Lifton while they deal with a vehicle fire. This is currently affecting both carriageways.”
A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service a spokesman said: “At 12.04pm today, two appliances from Tavistock and Okehampton fire stations and a water bowser were dispatched to the A30 near Lifton in Devon, where an articulated lorry carrying animal feed had caught alight.
“Crews used two hose reel jets, two compressed air foam jets, a triple extension ladder and breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading along the grass bank at the side of the road. The cab was destroyed by fire with the trailer around 30% damaged by fire. The incident has now been handed over to the police to manage vehicle recovery.”