A Surrey man suffered serious burns to the lower half of his body after a fire broke out suddenly in the cab of the tractor-trailer he was travelling in.
Revelstoke RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Thomas Blakney said police and ambulance staff got the call just after midnight on Friday, Mar. 28. They responded to the single-vehicle fire at a location about 10 kilometres east of Revelstoke on the Trans-Canada Highway.
When they arrived, the tractor was fully engulfed in flames. The trailer wasn’t damaged in the incident.
The 29-year-old driver and 32-year-old passenger were already out of the truck when responders got there. The two Surrey men both suffered burns in the incident. The driver suffered minor burns and cuts, while the passenger suffered serious burns to the lower half of his body.
He was treated at Queen Victoria Hospital in Revelstoke before being transported to the burn unit at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. He is listed in stable condition, police said.
The truck was actually travelling down the highway when the fire broke out. After bringing the truck to a stop, the driver had to help the passenger out of the cab.
Revelstoke RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Thomas Blakney said police don’t have an explanation as to what caused the sudden fire. Police believe it started in the cab area and spread very quickly. Blakney said the incident was “very unusual” and an investigation continues.
