According to Winn Parish Fire District 3 (WPFD3), on February 17, 2022, at 00:21 hours, firefighters responded to the intersection of LA 34 E @ LA 126 in response to a wood chip trailer on fire.
Upon arrival, firefighters observed a loaded wood chip trailer with fire coming from the rear axle area of the trailer. Firefighters deployed two 1 3/4 inch attack lines from unit 101 and began suppression operations.
Once firefighters extinguished the primary fire, they conducted a thorough overhaul to ensure the fire did not spread further into the load of wood chips. Once the fire was out, the overhaul was complete, and the scene was declared safe; all units and personnel cleared the scene and returned to quarters.
WPFD3 stated “Once again, we thank all of the volunteers and off-duty personnel who responded to this incident. Together, we can achieve greatness.”
Wood chips are wood products which are continually decomposing, generating high temperatures. Because of this, a large enough pile of chips can create sufficient heat to spontaneously combust. Incidental sparks from the trailer also pose a problem. It’s unclear at this time what caused this particular fire.
