Two grain trucks caught fire late Thursday afternoon at the FS yard on Willow Street in Effingham, according to officials. There were no injuries.
Effingham Fire Chief Joe Holomy said one of the fuel tanks exploded on the first truck that caught fire, which was a tractor-trailer. Damages are estimated at $90,000 for that vehicle.
The initial blaze caused a second truck to catch fire, which was a grain truck, the chief said. Damages to that vehicle are estimated at $95,000.
"Our concern was the proximity to the propane storage tanks, which was less than 50 feet away," Holomy said.
But the propane tanks were not affected.
Firefighters got the call at 4:53 p.m. and cleared the scene by 6 p.m.
Drivers attempted to put out the fire with dry chemical extinguishers, but the fire got out of control too fast, the chief said.
Holomy said the driver parked his tractor-trailer and plugged it in for the evening. The first truck's fire appears to have started on the underside where the batteries are located.