No injuries in Valemount vehicle fire

By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG

A tractor trailer near Jackman Flats caught fire at around September 5th. Before the trailer became fully engulfed in flames, the driver unhooked it from the tractor and left without injury.

Valemount RCMP arrived on scene after hearing reports of the fire at 9:25 p.m., according to Media Relations Officer Madonna Saunderson. 

Police blocked the road for safety and reduced the highway to single lane alternating traffic while the Valemount Fire Department suppressed the fire, Saunderson said.

In an interview with The Goat, Valemount Fire Department Chief Rick Lalonde said the tractor trailer was carrying pulp from Hinton that was set ablaze by a mechanical failure in the trailer. When a truck’s brake system fails to maintain the correct air pressure, the braking system and other mechanic systems in the truck can catch fire, Lalonde said.

When the fire department arrived on scene at around 9:26 p.m., the driver did not know what he was transporting. Lalonde says it’s important for truck drivers to have documentation on what their load includes, and to do proper maintenance on their vehicles, since brake chamber failures can be unpredictable.

“It’s unfortunate, but it goes on all the time,” he said about brake chamber issues. “This one didn’t start the trees on fire and didn’t burn up anything else that was high-risk.”