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1,600 litres of tar burn in trailer fire on Okanagan Connector

Okanagan Connector had to be closed in both directions for almost 12 hours
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Tractor trailer fire early Sunday morning on Highway 97C. (Skilled Truckers Canada)

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) is now shedding some light on a tractor-trailer fire that shut down Highway 97C for almost 12 hours on Sunday, May 12.

Five days after the incident caused the Okanagan Connector to close in both directions, Murray Sinclair with MoIT confirmed that the tractor-trailer was carrying approximately 1,600 litres of tar when it caught fire, burning the entire load.

The tractor-trailer burst into flames on the highway between Trepainer and Brenda Mine Roads just after 1 a.m.

A response contractor had to be called in to clean up the incident. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy was not notified of the fire.

“Ministry of Environment staff are reaching out to the responsible party to educate them on their spill reporting requirements,” said Sinclair.

It’s unclear what caused the blaze as the vehicle was badly damaged and difficult to inspect.

READ MORE: Okanagan Connector reopens almost 12 hours after tractor trailer fire

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Jen Zielinski

About the Author: Jen Zielinski

I am a broadcast journalism graduate from BCIT and hold a bachelor of arts degree in political science and sociology from Thompson Rivers University. I enjoy volunteering with local organizations, such as the Okanagan Humane Society.
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