'No truck left'

On Friday evening, May 26, multiple residents reported a pair of explosions as a semi-truck became consumed by flames on the south end of New Rockford.

The call came in at approximately 5:15 p.m., and emergency responders were soon on the scene as black smoke billowed into the air.

Fire crews quickly extinguished the flames and as the smoke dissipated, what was left behind appeared to be the burnt remains of a semi-truck – now almost unrecognizable.

The mangled vehicle was facing north on 8th Street South, less than 100 yards from the railroad crossing and Fessenden Co-op Association elevator.

No one was injured in the fire, according to New Rockford Fire Chief Brian Hopfauf, and Dauenhauer Diesel owner Jacob Dauenhauer confirmed it was one of his mechanics who was taking the semi for a test drive.

The driver pulled over when he noticed the vehicle was having issues and saw smoke coming from the cab. Dauenhauer said the blaze was ultimately started by an electrical issue, which began in the vehicle's battery box.

"Actually the batteries exploded and started on fire, that's what happened," he said.

The fire extinguisher didn't work when the driver attempted to use it, and in a matter of minutes there was "no truck left," according to Dauenhauer.

Hopfauf added that as the heat intensified, the semi-truck's front tires expanded and eventually popped – the source of the two explosions many residents heard. The heat from the vehicle also melted some of the asphalt on 8th Street South.

Responding to the incident were the New Rockford Fire Department, Eddy County Sheriff's Department and the Community Ambulance Service of New Rockford.