LFR crews battled a fire inside a large semitrailer near the People’s City Mission Wednesday afternoon. LFR says the trailer contained recycled metals and the fire broke out around 1:40 p.m. in the parking lot of the American Car Dealers parking lot near 2nd and ‘Q’ Streets.
Public Information Officer MJ Lierman says the company was loading a smashed car into the trailer and when they smashed it down, it inadvertently crushed a airbag cartridge that apparently had not been removed.
She says that caused an explosion and the fire spread to the other items which were in the trailer. The loss is estimated at $50,000 . Crews battled the fire from the air, spraying their hoses down into the trailer.
No one was hurt and no there was no damage to any buildings.