Driver's actions avert disaster

Firefighters monitor the temperature under an LPG delivery truck after it caught fire in Great...
Firefighters monitor the temperature under an LPG delivery truck after it caught fire in Great King St shortly about 8.15am yesterday. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
An explosive situation was averted yesterday thanks to the quick thinking of a truck driver - and a garden hose.

A Nova Energy truck, loaded with 45kg lpg cylinders, caught fire outside a Great King St address about 8.15am yesterday.

The driver heard a ''loud bang'' and noticed flames coming from underneath the truck, Senior Station Officer Craig Geddes, of Willowbank, said.

The Fire Service was called, but the quick thinking of the truck's driver meant the fire was extinguished before firefighters arrived.

A hydraulic hose failure started the fire as the driver was delivering lpg cylinders, Mr Geddes said.

The driver tried to put out the fire with a dry-powder extinguisher. However, it did not work and he used a garden hose instead.

''A bit of quick thinking by those involved was great,'' Mr Geddes said.

The owner of the house had brought the hose to the driver when they realised the extinguisher had no effect on the flames.

The fire was out when firefighters arrived, but the truck's undercarriage was ''still reasonably warm''.

Firefighters applied more water to cool the truck and disconnected the battery, he said.

''It was just a minor fire'', but it could have been worse.

Acting Senior Sergeant Jared Kirk said police had blocked off parts of Great King St North because of the fire.

''It was completely blocked off for about 10 minutes and then they opened up one lane,'' he said.

''Obviously, we needed to take precautions because of its [the truck's] contents.''

The road was reopened by 8.30am.

Two fire appliances, one from Willowbank and one from Dunedin Central, attended.

timothy.brown@odt.co.nz

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