Firefighters battle multiple-truck fire in North Jackson

Staff report

NORTH JACKSON

Firefighters saw four semi-trucks engulfed in flames when they arrived Wednesday afternoon at the Macy’s distribution center at 12629 Mahoning Ave.

One truck was damaged in addition to the four that were totaled. Only the smoking frames of the vehicles remained. Trailers did not appear to be attached to the trucks that burned.

North Jackson Fire Chief Dave Graham said no one was around the trucks, and there were no injuries. They have yet to determine the cause of the fire, but Graham said it’s not suspicious and probably electrical.

Denise McCarthy was working at the Things Remembered Warehouse, which is adjacent to the Macy’s distribution center. She said she heard loud booms.

“We didn’t know what to think,” McCarthy said. “It must have been the tires blowing out. We thought it was thunder.”

She said someone got on the loudspeaker and told employees to move their cars. When she walked outside, she saw a large plume of black smoke. It was so thick, McCarthy said, that she couldn’t see across South Bailey Road.

Graham said a nearby fire hydrant allowed firefighters to get the fire under control, and they quickly put it out.