The Australian Linehaul Interstate Transport company estimates damage worth over $2.30 million
A huge fire at a vehicle holding yard in Adelaide destroyed 23 B-double trailers belonging to the Australian Linehaul Interstate Transport on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Adelaide-based trucking company informs ATN that the trailers were parked at the Penner Avenue site for an auction scheduled to be held later this week.
With each trailer valued at $80,000, the company is looking at a damage of over $2.30 million.
The trailers were parked at the Burton site to give prospective buyers better access to all vehicles and equipment during the planned auction, the company states.
The relocation of the trailers to the site began Friday, with a majority of them relocated on Monday.
The fire started around 12.30pm in a paddock near the site and spread to the parked trailers that burned down in a domino effect.
The company tells ATN that a fencing contractor working near the site has claimed responsibility for the accidental fire that erupted from a spark from an angle grinder he was using at the time.
The spark ignited fire in the surrounding dry grass, spreading quickly to the neighbouring trailers.
The Country Fire Service (CFS) crew extinguished the blaze by 1.50pm, however, plumes of black smoke were seen for a while later.
Aerial water bombers from the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) were also called as fears raised the fire could damage nearby homes.
Onlookers reported regular explosions – later confirmed to be sound of tyres exploding due to heat – could be heard many metres away.
The police requested onlookers, including the company managers, to leave the area for fears of toxic smoke inhalation, the company says.