by Geoff Fox
Traffic on the north end of downtown Berkeley Springs was brought to almost standstill on Saturday when the brakes of a northbound tractor-trailer caught fire along Washington Street.
The call for the fire came in around 12 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, August 8, for a vehicle fire at the intersection of Union Street and Washington Street.
The brakes on the trailer’s right rear had caught fire and pulled off to the side of the road in the 400 block of Washington Street, however police had the driver move the tractor-trailer about a half mile north across from the Berkeley Springs Post Office as a safety precaution for the buildings where the tractor-trailer first stopped.
Black smoke and the smell of burnt rubber filled the area as the Hancock Fire Companyt and Hancock Rescue Squad arrived and put out the fire.
Town of Bath Police had Washington Street closed off with northbound traffic heading up St. George Street to Wilkes Street and back to Washington Street via Legion Street.
Northbound tractor-trailers pulled to the side of the road by the old train station.
Southbound traffic in the area of the fire attempted to use Legion Street and Wilkes Street as well. Those outside used Jimstown Road and Harrison Avenue to get into town.
The brakes were the only thing caught fire and the contents of the trailer were not damaged.
No injuries were reported.
