A passing motorist's quick action led to a full emergency response on Sunday evening after flames were spotted coming from the rear of a semi-trailer on the I-190 North off-ramp at Niagara Falls Boulevard. The incident occurred around 7:30pm and initially raised concerns that a fuel tanker was on fire.
The motorist, who remained at the scene, reported the fire to 911 while attempting to alert the truck driver by honking her horn. The driver eventually stopped on the off-ramp.
Niagara Falls Fire Department, along with Niagara Falls Police, New York State Police, Niagara County Sheriffs, and AMR, arrived to assist. Upon their arrival, firefighters determined that the truck was carrying wastewater rather than fuel.
Although the rear, driver-side axle was still smoking no flames were visible. The truck driver had already utilized a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire before emergency personnel arrived on the scene.
Semi-trailer Fire on I-190 Prompts Emergency Response in Niagara Falls