Tractor Trailer Catches Fire on Euclid Avenue Thursday

An "explosion" that had some Manassas Park residents asking questions was the result of a blown tire on a tractor trailer that caught fire early Thursday morning, Manassas Park Fire and Rescue Capt. James Soaper said.

It happened at 12:50 a.m. on Euclid Avenue where firefighters found a tractor trailer parked on the side of the road with a small fire between the cab and its trailer. 

The explosion heard was a tire blowing out as a result of direct fire impingement that started directly near it, Soaper said.

"The fire started in an axle hub (mechanical issue) that overheated and caught the grease on fire which spread from the truck to the trailer. The trailer contents were not damaged and were non-hazardous materials," Soaper said.

The fire was small and no debris spread across Euclid Avenue, a main roadway in Manassas Park. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters extinguished the fire quickly, but stayed on the scene to monitor the situation, the captain said.

The truck sustained about $5,000 in damages and was hauled away.