Truck fire shuts down S.R. 319

State Route 319 between Panaca and Utah was shut down the morning of Aug. 9 due to a truck fire that blocked both lanes of traffic.

Sheriff Kerry Lee reported an eastbound tractor-trailer semi hauling a load of grain to the Holt Dairy in Newcastle, Utah, was involved in the accident around 11 a.m.

The unnamed driver told officers he heard a loud bang as he neared the Panaca Summit. The truck lost power and soon after caught fire. Speculation is it may have been engine failure, resulting in a fire.

“The driver was able to escape without injury,” Lee said, “but it shut down traffic in both directions for about two hours, with restricted traffic for several hours after that for the cleanup process.”

Lee said the fire in the truck exploded the tires and started brushfires on both sides of the highway, resulting in multiple personnel and equipment from the Bureau of Land Management, Lincoln County Fire District and Pioche Fire all responding. “The roadway was burned, as well as brush alongside,” he said.