Maple Terrace Fire Under Investigation

January 16, 2021 1:25 am

A fire at Maple Terrace in Washington is under investigation.  City firefighters were called out around one-thirty Friday afternoon to reports of explosions and a fire.  Washington Fire Chief Gerry Coleman tells WJPA News that when they arrived, they found an Orkin box truck with five propane tanks inside, on fire.  Coleman says the truck had its rear gate open and the fire was essentially feeding into unit 119, which had been the unit the truck was being used on.  Coleman says the driver of the truck, who was sitting in the cab, told them he heard a “whooshing” sound and when he got out, he saw the fire coming out of the rear of the vehicle.  Coleman says several departments were called in to assist, along with the Washington County Hazmat team.  He says there was one injury.  A Washington City Police Officer suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.  Coleman says unit 119 was gutted by the blaze and although several other units sustained some damage, once the utilities are turned back on, they will be habitable.