Tuesday evening, around 6:45 p.m., a truck carrying 18 tonnes of plastic caught fire on the A31 motorway in the direction of Metz-Thionville. When the truck driver perceived a suspicious odor inside his cabin, he immediately deviated from his course, using the exit ramp from Maizières-lès-Metz. The driver, a Dutch national, parked his vehicle on the emergency stop strip before getting out and alerting the emergency services.
Very impressive fire
The fire was very impressive. Indeed, the thick smoke escaping was seen eight kilometers around. The firefighters hired six vehicles and fifteen men to control a delicate fire, “because plastic has enormous calorific value”.
Some residents were also alarmed by the strong deflagrations heard when the tires exploded. The truck burned to the ground. The access road to Maizières-lès-Metz was closed to traffic while the emergency services put out the fire and cleared the vehicle.
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