SHERMAN, Maine — A tractor trailer hauling a load of potatoes burst into flames along Interstate 95 Wednesday evening.
Marlin Hostetler, 40, of Littleton was traveling south on I-95 April 26 shortly after 9 p.m. in a 1999 International tractor-trailer when the truck began to smoke and caught fire, according to Cpl. Chuck Michaud of the Maine State Police.
One of Hosterler’s friends was following behind him and phoned to say he could smell smoke. Hostetler himself did not immediately notice the smoke, but pulled over to the side of the road to investigate.
“I thought maybe he was smelling a brake that was stuck or a tire,” Hostetler said when contacted Thursday. “But when I looked underneath, I could see a glow. I grabbed my fire extinguisher, and tried hitting it with that, but it didn’t do anything.”
Hostetler said he re-entered the cab of the truck to grab his phone. It was then he noticed the heat from the flames underneath were already starting to melt some of the interior.
“The rubber boot on the shifter had already burnt through,” he said. “In-between the seats, which is where my logbook was sitting, was already on fire. The dash was starting to melt. I grabbed my phone and headset. The rest was history.”
Hostetler said he quickly exited the rig and moments later, the tractor-trailer truck burst into flames.
“When the front tires exploded, it sounded like a bomb went off,” he said. “It was hot enough that it bent the front springs backwards and melted the aluminum tank. It was pretty hairy.”
The tractor trailer, owned by Last Minute Trucking, was hauling a load of potatoes. The trailer sustained minor damage to the exterior and the bulk of the potatoes were saved, Hostetler said. He was back on the road Thursday continuing his delivery.
Maine State Police Trooper Timmy Saucier and members of the Sherman and Stacyville fire departments and Patten Ambulance responded to the fire. The cab was towed from the scene by Westerdahl’s Towing.
The interstate was closed for a short period of time while the fire was extinguished and debris cleared. Hostetler was not injured, but the truck was completely destroyed.
