Huge Beer Truck Fire in Maine Gives New Meaning to Getting Lit

No one was hurt when a beer truck caught fire on I-95 in Maine.

Where Was This?

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss says State Police Troopers responded to a vehicle fire in Island Falls at around 7:00 Monday night. The fire was on the southbound side of I-95 at mile 277, which is Island Falls.

What Happened?

When Troopers arrived on the scene, they found a tractor trailer hauling beer that was ablaze. It seems an inner passenger side tire had blown and had somehow started a fire in the rear portion of the trailer. Upon noticing the flames, the driver, Sahil Pal, 23, of Dieppe, New Brunswick, pulled over to the side of the interstate. Pal and his passenger tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher but were unable to douse the flames and the fire quickly spread inside the trailer, which became fully involved.

Did the Fire Reach the Engine?

Thinking quickly, the driver separated the tractor unit before the fire could spread to the front of the rig. Pal and his passenger were not hurt in the incident that destroyed the trailer and it contents.

While fire crews from Island Falls and Oakfield responded to the scene and put out the fire, I-95 was shut down to traffic for about two hours. Maine State Police are asking drivers in that area to use caution because crews are still clearing debris from the fire.

I had a little fun with the title of this article, since it was a beer truck, but I acknowledge that this must have been a scary incident for the driver and passenger. Kudos to them both for their quick action that prevented it from being a much sadder story to report.