Truck full of garbage catches fire on Toronto highway
As if driving along Hwy 427 at rush hour weren't already chaotic enough, thousands of Toronto commuters were delayed this morning by a literal flaming pile of garbage.
To be specific, a large tractor trailer carrying trash caught fire on the major highway's northbound side, not far from Burnhamthorpe Road, around 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
Ministry of Transportation traffic cameras captured the blaze before emergency responders arrived. Images and videos show the truck pulled over to the right side of the 427 just before 7:30 a.m. with fire spewing forth from its trailer.
#cp24 #blogto #Toronto #traffic #northbound pic.twitter.com/KW4wY4ndwU
— Maveric Bolanon (@MBolanon) December 8, 2020
Toronto firefighters were quick to the scene and eventually managed to extinguish the fire with a ladder, salt and plenty of water.
'scene of the 427 @ Burnhamthorpe for a tractor trailer fullllll of garbage that caught fire. You don’t see the ladder set up on the highway often.' #Toronto https://t.co/OFvsf66yBX
— Toronto Firefighters (@TPFFA) December 8, 2020
Smoke careened across the highway, reducing visibility for drivers.
Truck Fire 📍Hwy 427N @ Burhamthorpe
— 401_da_sarpanch (@401_da_sarpanch) December 8, 2020
.#hwy427 #Toronto #Mississauga #fire #truck #trucking #trucks #tuesdayvibe #opp #safety #etobicoke pic.twitter.com/lJ1mRqiZ2N
And the smell? Well, it couldn't have been great.
In a Periscope dispatch from the scene, Ontarioo Provinvial Police Sgt. Kerry Schmidt described the trailer's cargo as "lots and lots of garbage."
Truck fire #Hwy427 NB express at Burnamthorpe Rd clean up ongoing. Expect delays approaching the scene https://t.co/61EQ42NKyo
— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) December 8, 2020
"The idea for cleanup is that the tractor is going to drive away. We'll get a tow truck to pull this trailer off the highway and secure it somewhere away from the lane," said Schmidt.
"Cleanup crews will come to clean up the trash that was pulled out of the trailer to assist in the firefighting efforts."
UPDATE: All NB 427 collector lanes have reopened from Burnhamthorpe to the 401. NB 427 at Burnhamthorpe in the express - the right lane remains closed for ongoing truck fire cleanup. #NB427 pic.twitter.com/5YZW9e1pLr
— 680 NEWS Traffic (@680NEWStraffic) December 8, 2020
City crews are at the scene now with multiple dumpsters, cleaning up all the garbage left behind by the truck fire.
While all northbound collectors and express lanes had initially been closed on the 427 at Burnamthorpe, most have since reopened.
As of 11 a.m., only one right lane remains closed for cleanup, though police say drivers can still "expect delays approaching the scene."
