Vehicle fire obstructs traffic on 441 S

A truck that caught fire from a propane torch caused traffic to be obstructed over the weekend on a main roadway.

According to multiple reports from law enforcement and local fire services, deputies from the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office arrived at a Lakemont residence and immediately noticed a man flagging them down pointing at a truck which was fully engulfed in flames with black smoke filling the air.

Authorities requested fire services on the scene to extinguish the fire after hearing what sounded like small then loud explosions.

441 S was blocked for multiple hours until Stations 1, 4, 7 and 12 responded and successfully extinguished the blaze of flames.

According to the report by law enforcement, the truck caught fire as a result of the owner placing a used propane torch on the bed of his truck thinking that he had turned off the fuel flow. However, a few moments later, the man said he noticed flames and smoke coming from the truck proving he had not properly turned the torch off.

According to Assistant Fire Chief Justin Upchurch, the truck was a total loss but no other vehicles or structures were damaged.