Fire destroys semi-truck

U.S. 2 in Delta County was shut down for 3 hours this morning following a semi–truck fire.

Troopers from the Michigan State Police Post in Gladstone responded to the call about a truck that was on fire just south of Rapid River at 5:40 this morning. The fire was so big, troopers could see the flames from a distance as the approached the fully engulfed truck.

According to the driver of the semi, 56–year–old Robert Lustila of Germfask, he heard a loud bang and pulled over to the shoulder to investigate the noise. When he exited his truck, he saw 4–foot flames coming out of the chimneystack and also from under the hood.

Lustila was unable to retrieve the fire extinguisher in his truck, due to the flames and smoke. He was not injured during the incident.

The semi–truck and trailer was a 2010 international owned by WJZ and Sons Harvesting, located in Germfask. The truck is considered a total loss.

Lustila was hauling a load of logs, which were later loaded onto another rig, The Truck Shop Tow Service towed away the burned out truck.Traffic was rerouted down Bayshore Drive while crews put out the fire and cleaning up the road.

The Delta County Sheriff’s Department,  along with Gladstone Public Safety, assisted at the scene. The Masonville Township Fire Department, Brampton Township Fire Department and the Delta County Road Commission assisted in putting out the fire and cleaning up the roadway. A load of salt was applied to the road due to the frozen water and foam used to put out the blaze.