A NZ Post trailer caught fire in Te Kūiti about 2am on Wednesday
The driver of a NZ Post vehicle who pulled into a service station in Te Kūiti made a quick exit when he realised it was on fire.
The Te Kūiti Volunteer Fire Brigade was called soon after 2am yesterday as fire engulfed the truck and trailer, burning freight.
“The driver hopped out to have a look after he heard a popping noise, because he thought he had popped a tyre,” fire chief Hayden Sheedy said.
He found a fire had started in the brakes of the rear trailer unit, which was spreading to the tyres.
Sheedy said the driver immediately removed the truck from the station and parked it outside the police station in Caroll St.
He also managed to disconnect the rear trailer, which had quickly become engulfed in flames as the tyres burned and exploded.
A contractor used a forklift to remove crates from the burning trailer to help fire fighters put the blaze out.
They also ensured the fire did not spread to the nearby railway workshops.
Sheedy said it was a time consuming job and it was clear NZ Post lost a lot of freight.
The truck’s rear trailer was destroyed.
