By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A tractor-trailer driver suffered smoke inhalation early Monday morning after his tractor trailer caught fire. The man was asleep in the sleeper cabin and lost everything in the fire, officials said.

The fire occurred just before 2 a.m. at 825 Cedar Springs Road in the parking lot of Henkel Corp.

“The tractor-trailer had a 5,000 gallon ethanol tanker attached to it,” said Salisbury Battalion Chief David Morris.

Morris said the driver was awakened by the smoke. He was treated at the scene by Rowan EMS, but not taken to the hospital. The first fire company upgraded the incident because of the tanker. All of the Salisbury city fire units responded.

Firefighters made a “blitz attack” on the fire, which requires putting lots of water on a fire very quickly.

The tractor-trailer was parked between two other box trailers, and the blitz attack prevented the fire from spreading. The fire tactic also kept the heat off the ethanol tanker, Morris said.

“That did prevent what could’ve been a major event,” he said.

None of the other trailers sustained any internal damage, just radiant heat damage to the outside.

Morris said he wasn’t sure why the tractor-trailer was parked there.

Locke Fire Department also responded. The Hanford Dole Chapter of the American Red Cross was called to assist the driver since all of his possessions were destroyed in the fire.

Morris said he could not release the driver’s name.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.