Semi cab lost in Monday afternoon fire

    Little was left of a semi cab that was pulling a corn-filled trailer Monday after it burned along a county road, eight miles south of Champion.
    The Imperial Volunteer Fire Department was paged to the intersection of 326 Avenue and Road 727 about 4 p.m. with a report of the fire.
    A driver for farmer Jeff Wallin stopped the semi on the road, said IVFD First Asst. Chief Brad Wheeler, after they suspect a front tire on the trailer went flat, became hot and started the cab on fire.
    Initially, the driver attempted to put out the fire with an extinguisher himself, Wheeler said, “but it just got too big.”
    After the fire was extinguished, all that was visibly left of the cab was the passenger seat, an exhaust stack and the charred engine, he said.
    The cab was totalled. The front side of the trailer also sustained some damage, as well as some of the corn, he added.
    The fire from the cab tried to get into some pasture nearby, but the grass was so bare it didn’t spread far, according to Wheeler.
    Except for the city pumper, all of Imperial’s fire trucks and quick attacks were sent to the scene.
    The Lamar VFD was also paged to the fire, but Imperial sent them back before they arrived since the fire was under control, Wheeler said.
    The Dundy County Sheriff’s Office was also paged to the scene, he said.