(La Porte County, IN) - An investigation is underway into the cause of a fire that destroyed four parked semi-trucks just outside Michigan City.

 

The semi-trucks were beside each other at Gallops, a Marathon station on U.S. 20 between the city limits and Porter County line when firefighters and other emergency personnel responded about 2 a.m. on Saturday.

 

Coolspring Township Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Warren Smith said a fifth semi parked in the same row of trucks was starting to catch fire but the flames were put out before engulfing the rig.

 

“When we arrived, four of the five were already pretty much burnt completely up,” he said.

 

Smith said aerial trucks belonging to his department and Michigan City were used to extinguish the flames fed by diesel fuel in the tanks reaching high into the air.

 

“A lot of fire. It was big,” he said.

 

What sounded like explosions were also numerous from air escaping melting tires on the 18 wheelers.  Smith said the gas station building about 150 feet from the trucks was never threatened by the flames.

 

He said a load of cardboard inside one of the trailers destroyed. Two other trailers were loaded with steel coils and railroad car wheels while the other two semis had no cargo.

 

Fortunately, there were no drivers sleeping inside the semis at the time. Smith said all of them left their rigs there to spend time the weekend at home.

 

He said arson will be among the potential causes looked into but there are other possible sources of ignition like an electrical short drawing energy from a battery despite the trucks not running at the time.

 

The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting with the investigation, he said.