Blowout Ignites Callahan Blaze
By: Eric R. Wallace, ACU Programmer/Analyst
Updated: March 6, 2009
While most people were on their way to work this morning, Juan Torres was already hard at it driving his 18-wheel gravel hauler north on Highway 36. His day could have taken a “turn” for the worse when the right front tire came off his rig, but he was able to hold it on the road and avoid what could have been a catastrophic accident.
Torres said, “When it happened, I thought I was going to die.” His major concern was the diesel tank which he knew was now riding just inches off the road. He feared it would rupture and that sparks from the front end grinding along the roadway would ignite the diesel.
His rig ground to a halt directly in front of the Highway 36 Church of Christ. The flaming tire crashed through the dry underbrush and came to rest in a field next to the church, igniting a fire which burned several acres.
Clyde and Eula Volunteer Fire Departments responded quickly to the fire call and, despite a steady breeze which fanned the flames, saved a mobile home next to the field, stopping the fire just twenty feet from the structure. The fire was fully extinguished by 9:00am and firefighters continued dousing hot spots to keep the fire from reigniting.
