Lang
7/28/23
Multiple departments responded to a semi fire on Highway 218 south of Iowa City Thursday afternoon.
According to the Hills Fire Department, just before 3:15pm fire crews from Hills, Riverside and Lone Tree descended on northbound Highway 218 just south of the Riverside Drive exit for a vehicle fire. Arriving units found a refrigerated semi trailer that was hauling processed pork fully engulfed.
The fire was brought under control and extinguished by emergency personnel with the use of two handlines and firefighting foam. Ambulances from the Davis County Hospital & Clinics and the Ottumwa Regional Health Center even emptied their fire extinguishers to help fight the blaze.
Due to the extreme heat and size of fire, the Johnson County Ambulance Service was requested to respond for firefighter rehab and safety. The roadway was closed and reduced down to one lane for a short while by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol while emergency personnel performed their operations. The roadway was later reopened and returned to normal operations about 90 minutes after the initial dispatch. Towing operations occurred later in the evening when less traffic was present on the roadway.
The cause of the fire is believed to be excessive heat from the trailer’s brakes. No injuries were reported.