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I-15 shut down Sunday as fire in trailer burns


TANKER FIRE • A fire in a "Pup" gasoline tanker shut down I-15 south of Nephi Sunday night. The driver noticed that the trailer was on fire, stopped, unhooked his tractor and pulled it safely away. 5,000 gallons of gasoline burned up in the fire but did not explode. Fire crews from Juab County were able to put the fire out before the front tank, containing another 7,000 gallons of gasoline, ruptured.  Above, photos courtesy of the Utah Highway patrol show the fire and the remains of burned out trailer.

By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent


A gas tanker trailer burst into flame Sunday evening closing I-15 just north of Yuba for two hours.
"On Sunday January 13, 2013 at approximately 7:30 p.m., a semi with two gasoline tankers in tow was traveling south on Interstate 15," said Nick Bowles, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt., Section 14 District A. "Near milepost 203 the rear tank caught on fire."
Bowles said that, at that point, the driver, Rick Barger, 63, Las Vegas, NV, pulled to the shoulder, unhooked the tractor from the trailers, and moved a safe distance from the fire.
"The 5,000 gallons of gasoline in the rear tank was totally consumed in the fire along with the tank," he said.
Bowles said the fire began when the passenger side tires of the front tanker caught fire.
Fire crews from Juab County were able to put the fire out before the front tank, containing another 7,000 gallons of gasoline, ruptured.
"Both north and southbound I-15 was shutdown for more than two hours," said Bowles.
Personnel from the Utah Highway Patrol, the Juab County Sheriff's Office, the Juab County Fire District, Juab County Emergency Medical Technicians, the Nephi City Police Department, the Utah State Parks, the Utah Department of Transportation and the Millard County Sheriff's Office were involved in the incident, he said.
The owner of the tanker was Edwards Petroleum Transport of Las Vegas.