A box truck loaded with chips and other snacks, ready for delivery Friday, burned Thursday night at Frito-Lay Inc., 5 Danforth Drive in Palmer Township.
The Palmer Municipal Fire Department, assisted by the Tatamy Volunteer Fire Co., battle a fire the night of Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, in a truck fully loaded for distribution with snack foods, at Frito-Lay Inc., 5 Danforth Drive in the township. (Dan Clerico | Lehighvalleylive.com contributor)
The Palmer Municipal Fire Department responded and called in water-supply assistance from the Tatamy Volunteer Fire Co., due to half the township’s firefighters helping with a house fire in Bushkill Township, Palmer fire Assistant Chief Jim Alercia said.
The Palmer Township fire was reported about 9 p.m.
Alercia was first on scene and found fire well on its way inside the truck’s engine compartment and cab. Flames extended into the trailer section, stocked with snacks.
Alercia said he would be contacting the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to inspect food stocked for distribution in nearby trucks that may have been contaminated by heavy smoke from the fire.
The investigation is scheduled to continue Friday to try to determine the value of the lost product.
No one was injured as firefighters responded on a frigid night, following a morning snowfall.
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The truck that caught fire was having engine problems earlier in the day, before being shut off and parked, Alerica said; a few hours later, the fire appeared to have started in the engine compartment.
“It’s going to be mechanical,” he said of the cause.
Fire crews were getting ready to clear the scene about 10:30 p.m.
Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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