Garbage Truck Fire on Beltline in Madison

Madison, Wisconsin - A mechanical issue is believed to be the cause of a garbage truck fire that occurred on the Beltline early Thursday morning, according to the Madison Fire Department. The incident took place when the driver noticed a strange smell in the exhaust and promptly turned off his air conditioner.

The driver had been experiencing problems with the air conditioning system for several weeks prior to the incident, as stated by the fire department in their official statement. Concerned about the odor coming from the exhaust, he decided to shut off his A/C. As he continued driving, he became aware that something was not right when he felt an increase in temperature inside the cab. Other drivers on the road were urgently signaling him to pull over.

Realizing that his entire truck was engulfed in flames upon pulling over, he quickly evacuated himself from danger. The driver later recounted hearing explosions while walking away from his vehicle.

Firefighters arrived at around 5:30 a.m., with one engine positioned near Agricultural Drive in westbound lanes. They reported feeling intense heat as they approached from opposite lanes of traffic.

To combat this fierce blaze, firefighters drained their initial engine's 500-gallon water tank and called for assistance from another ladder truck equipped with its own 500-gallon tank. Additional support was requested from McFarland Fire and Cottage Grove Fire departments to provide more water supply during firefighting efforts.

It is estimated that approximately 2,500 gallons of water were used by firefighters through their first engine alone before successfully containing and extinguishing all flames. The ladder truck also utilized its full 500-gallon capacity.

The Madison Fire Department attributed difficulties encountered during firefighting operations to natural gas powering the garbage truck. Once extinguished, responders were able to safely shut off its gas line.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported regarding this incident and it should be noted that the truck was not carrying any garbage at the time.

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