Burning truck on A7: Driver fights in vain for flames!

Burning truck on A7: Driver fights in vain for flames!

On February 7, 2025, on the A7 motorway, shortly before the Kirchheimer Dreieck, a spectacular truck fire, which resulted in considerable traffic disruptions. The incident occurred on Thursday evening when the 38-year-old driver noticed that a smell of fire was getting out of his vehicle. Despite several attempts to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher, the truck ultimately went over.

The tractor -trailer, which was loaded with dishwasher, had to be blocked in the direction of Fulda for about two hours during the use to carry out the extinguishing work and the subsequent salvage. The blocking was lifted on Friday morning, but the right lane remained closed for the time being, since it was heavily dirty and damaged by previous fire and extinguishing processes.

quick spread and high damage

The flames quickly spread to the adjacent embankment in a short time, which made the extinguishing work even more difficult. A total of around 60 fire brigade forces were on site, which were actively supported. Fortunately, the 67-year-old driver and his 59-year-old passenger were able to save themselves unharmed. The estimated damage to property amounts to around 120,000 euros, with part of the damage to the cause of the fire, which was probably in a technical defect in the engine compartment.

For the emergency services who were confronted with technical challenges, the extinction of truck fires is a complex task. This also confirmed a report by Fireworld , which has been addressing the increase in truck fires in recent years due to the increasing freight transport and other risk factors. In particular, technical defects, lack of maintenance and improper loading of vehicles can have fatal consequences and increase the risk of fire.

prevention measures of the fire brigade

In order to minimize the risk of such incidents, regular maintenance on the vehicles is required, even if these requirements are often not met. The fire brigade and technical relief organization appeal to drivers to recognize potential dangers at an early stage and to take adequate measures. The quick and efficient use of special devices, such as thermal cameras, is crucial to combat a fire in good time.

The considerable challenges that result from such fire in addition also require close cooperation between the various emergency services, especially for international transport operations. This is also confirmed by Tagesschau , which reported on the events in Hessen and referred to the approximately 50-meter-long oil track, which had escaped from the truck. Such incidents underline the need for effective crisis management on motorways.