It wasn't on fire when I found it

[Mr. E. Monkey]

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So, how was your Saturday night?  Mine was a little bit more interesting than I expected.

A little background:  the Monkey family had spent Thanksgiving with family in Dallas, and made the 5 hour return trip earlier that afternoon.  That evening, close to 8:45, I decided to run to town and grab some groceries at Walmart.  Not quite halfway into town, I see the tail lights of a semi truck up ahead.  Figuring they had just turned onto the highway, I started slowing down.  As I got closer, I realized that the truck was stopped, right in the middle of the lane, so I pull to a stop behind them.  After a minute or so, I realize he's not going anywhere, so I peek to see if I can get around, but a car passes, so I'm stuck there for a second.  He's parked on a little bit of a rise, so oncoming traffic is a little hard to see.

I decided to get out of the car and go see what was going on, thinking maybe the driver needed help with something, or he was stuck behind someone else, or something.  I was on the phone (hands-free!) with my sister at the time, and she suggested that I should share my location with her, just in case, so I did.  

I approached the truck from the passenger side, to avoid walking in traffic.  The truck was a log hauler, but the trailer was empty.  The truck was running, but as I approached, I saw that the passenger door was ajar, the cab appeared empty, and there was nobody in front of the truck either, as the hood was down.  That seemed weird, so I returned to my car.  The situation was just feeling odd, so I locked my doors, ended the call with my sister, and called the sheriff's department, to let them know that there was an apparently abandoned semi truck blocking the highway.

It took a minute or two to get through the menu and talk to dispatch.  After a couple of minutes of explaining my location, he was getting ready to send a deputy out to investigate, when the truck ignited.  Flames rocketed up from the sides (I believe this was from the gas tanks, but I'm not certain), and if it had been on my bucket list, I would have gotten to cross telling dispatch "so, uh, it's on fire now" off of my list. 

Dispatch took my name and number, and let me go so that they could get the fire department on it.  At this point, I had backed up, and I took the picture that is attached.  I called the sheriff's office at 9:02, and took the picture at 9:08.

The fire department showed up fairly quickly and put the fire out.  I checked in with the fire chief to see if there was any more information that they might need from me, and let him know that dispatch had my contact info, in case they had any other questions later.  He just wanted to verify that I hadn't seen the driver, or anyone in the vehicle--fortunately, they had not found any bodies, but at the same time, a lack of a driver was quite odd.


So...

What can we take away from all of this, and can it help us prep better for disasters or short-term emergencies?

What I think I did right:

• I stayed calm, and relayed information to dispatch well.
• I observed my surroundings and responded reasonably (backing away from a burning truck, in particular).
• Once I was parked behind the truck, I turned my emergency flashers on so that other drivers could be aware of the situation (though the fire later made it pretty obvious).
• I let someone know where I was before I left my vehicle to investigate, just in case.

What I didn't do right:

• I did not have a good flashlight.  I left my phone in the car, so I didn't even have that one.  A light would have helped me see inside the cab of the truck better, and possibly identify any signs or warnings of a problem sooner.  
• I pulled up too close behind the truck.  I should have given myself more room to maneuver in case something had happened sooner.
• I wasn't as clear on the location as I should have been:  I said that I was heading east into town, when I probably should have said that I was west of town.  I was able to give dispatch names of the nearby side streets, which helped them find the location, but it probably would have been more helpful to say where I was, instead of where I was going, from the very beginning.
• I should have taken my phone with me--if there had been a medical emergency, I would have had to run back to my car to call 911, and then run back to try to assist.  

Gear:

• I do have a fire extinguisher and first aid kit in my car.  Neither would have made much difference in this situation, but could help in others.
• I bought a flashlight specifically to keep in my car, while I was at Walmart.  I can learn. 
• Of course I was armed.  Entirely unnecessary in this situation, but you never know.

Brain:

• Going by Cooper's Color Code, when I pulled up behind the truck, I was in a pretty pale yellow.  When I noticed that the passenger-side door was open, and there was no driver to be found, I think I went pretty orange.  I probably should have been solidly orange before I ever got out of my car, but I really wasn't quite as "on" as I should have been; probably due to that long drive in the rain earlier that day.
• I want to say that I was mindful of the possibility that something could have been amiss, but when I walked up, I think I was really just assuming that the driver was having vehicle problems.  I was mindful that there could be other risky situations at hand, but I really didn't plan for that.  If something more nefarious had been going on, or if there was a medical emergency, I would have had to react to that situation, instead of acting.  
• I didn't even think about a flashlight until after the fact.  I didn't plan on shining a light in or around the truck in the first place, so improving my visibility didn't cross my mind, and that's where I'm really kicking myself.  
• I got lucky.  I was lucky that the passenger side door was open.  If it hadn't been, I might have needed to go around to the driver's side, or climb up to look in the cab, in case the driver was incapacitated or whatever the case may be.  I didn't think through other possible scenarios, so I didn't plan, and so I was fortunate that the situation played out the way it did, and not any worse.  What if it had been a trap?  What if there had been some readily apparent sign that the truck was about to burst into flames?  What if it had happened sooner?  I would have been screwed, because I didn't have a plan for that.  

So now I turn to you wonderful people.  What can you take away and learn from this?  Any "horror movie moments" that you read here that you want to share?  (I mean, those moments where you're practically screaming at the character in a horror movie, "no, you idiot, don't do that!")

[NT2C]

You didn't happen to pass through Nantucket by any chance, did you?   

Presidential Secret Service rental vehicles burst into flames after he left Nantucket vacation

[Anianna]

Were there any news reports on it? 

[Mr. E. Monkey]

No, this was in Arkansas.  And I haven't seen any news reports.  It didn't even make it into the Sheriff's log...but it does look like the truck was reported stolen that night, and from just down the road...  That's interesting.

[flybynight]

No Flashlight ?   Tell me you at least had a knife
 
Flybynight's list of essential things to never leave the house without. EVER

Pistol
Flash light
Knife
House keys
Wallet
Cell Phone

Don't leave home without it

[Anianna]

That's wild.  I was hoping to learn more about what happened.  It's so frustrating when you see something like this and nothing more ever comes of it.  I assume that if the fire was deliberate, it wasn't meant to cause harm but to destroy evidence or maybe it wasn't deliberate but the driver was somehow aware that danger was imminent.  That the truck was stolen doesn't rule either out.  If the driver was supposed to be in the truck, they likely would have stayed nearby if they sensed danger, but a thief would run, so either is still possible. 

Criminy.  I just hate a lack of information, it makes me speculate. 

I'm not sure there's much you could have done differently.  Listening to that gift of fear upon finding the cab empty was a good move and locking your doors to be safe while on the phone was spot on. 

I keep meaning to put a better flashlight in my van, but I don't because I have precisely one flashlight that I actually like and it's not available to purchase any more of.  I have flashlights in my van, I just don't like any of them.  I'm very annoyed by not being able to find another flashlight I actually like and I'm very annoyed that the one I do like is no longer available.  I have been in the flashlight thread and tried a myriad of recommendations from there and from flashlight and EDC snobs on Reddit.  I guess I'm just too picky.

[flybynight]

That's wild.  I was hoping to learn more about what happened.  It's so frustrating when you see something like this and nothing more ever comes of it.  I assume that if the fire was deliberate, it wasn't meant to cause harm but to destroy evidence or maybe it wasn't deliberate but the driver was somehow aware that danger was imminent.  That the truck was stolen doesn't rule either out.  If the driver was supposed to be in the truck, they likely would have stayed nearby if they sensed danger, but a thief would run, so either is still possible. 

Criminy.  I just hate a lack of information, it makes me speculate. 

I'm not sure there's much you could have done differently.  Listening to that gift of fear upon finding the cab empty was a good move and locking your doors to be safe while on the phone was spot on. 

I keep meaning to put a better flashlight in my van, but I don't because I have precisely one flashlight that I actually like and it's not available to purchase any more of.  I have flashlights in my van, I just don't like any of them.  I'm very annoyed by not being able to find another flashlight I actually like and I'm very annoyed that the one I do like is no longer available.  I have been in the flashlight thread and tried a myriad of recommendations from there and from flashlight and EDC snobs on Reddit.  I guess I'm just too picky.

Ok Which is the flashlight you like. And we'll go from there. 

And you should always have a flashlight on your person

[Mr. E. Monkey]

No Flashlight ?   Tell me you at least had a knife
 
Flybynight's list of essential things to never leave the house without. EVER

Pistol
Flash light
Knife
House keys
Wallet
Cell Phone

Don't leave home without it

I had all but the flashlight, and stupidly left the phone in the car.  Lesson learned (and fortunately, not the hard way this time).

The really aggravating part of that is that I frequently do carry a flashlight (just a Coast G20 penlight, but it's actually pretty decent for routine/light use), but it doesn't ride well in the pockets of the pants I was wearing that night (I know, excuses don't solve anything).  That's something that I need to reevaluate.

[Mr. E. Monkey]

That's wild.  I was hoping to learn more about what happened.  It's so frustrating when you see something like this and nothing more ever comes of it.  I assume that if the fire was deliberate, it wasn't meant to cause harm but to destroy evidence or maybe it wasn't deliberate but the driver was somehow aware that danger was imminent.  That the truck was stolen doesn't rule either out.  If the driver was supposed to be in the truck, they likely would have stayed nearby if they sensed danger, but a thief would run, so either is still possible. 

Criminy.  I just hate a lack of information, it makes me speculate. 

I was hoping to learn more, too.  I didn't think it would be as frustrating as it is.  I am wondering if they haven't released any info to the news because of an active investigation, because things just don't add up.

• There is a pullout in front of a used car dealership just behind where the truck was parked (this is where I backed up to), and another just ahead of it, yet it was parked in the middle of the road where it was guaranteed to disrupt traffic.
• I was there for the better part of 10 minutes, with no sign of the driver, before the truck caught fire.  If the driver had suspected imminent danger, they had plenty of time to do something like turn off the truck, or call the sheriff or fire department.
• If it wasn't stolen, the driver should absolutely have been nearby, waiting for police or fire, putting out hazard markers, and definitely should have put the emergency flashers on.
• If it had already been reported as stolen, law enforcement should have already been headed in that direction, or dispatch should have known to watch for a truck matching that description.
• If it was stolen, they apparently didn't get very far with it.  Quarter mile, at best.  Made it to a fire hydrant, at least.
• One of the individuals listed as reporting the theft owns a logging/trucking company.  The truck had a log trailer, and looks, at very least, like the model of truck reported stolen.
• The trailer was unloaded, and I can't think of any reason it would have been parked where it had been reported as stolen.  It certainly didn't deliver a load of timber to a storage unit at 9pm!

I keep coming back to insurance fraud.  It's the only thing that makes any sense to me.

I'm not sure there's much you could have done differently.  Listening to that gift of fear upon finding the cab empty was a good move and locking your doors to be safe while on the phone was spot on. 

I appreciate that.  

Back in the day, I always encouraged my Soldiers to listen to their "spidey sense."  If something feels "off," it probably is.  Would've been pretty bad if I didn't take my own advice...

I keep meaning to put a better flashlight in my van, but I don't because I have precisely one flashlight that I actually like and it's not available to purchase any more of.  I have flashlights in my van, I just don't like any of them.  I'm very annoyed by not being able to find another flashlight I actually like and I'm very annoyed that the one I do like is no longer available.  I have been in the flashlight thread and tried a myriad of recommendations from there and from flashlight and EDC snobs on Reddit.  I guess I'm just too picky.

I don't see anything wrong with being picky about flashlights.  It's definitely one of those things that you want to be able to trust that it will do what you need it to do, when you need it to do it.  

[Anianna]

That's wild.  I was hoping to learn more about what happened.  It's so frustrating when you see something like this and nothing more ever comes of it.  I assume that if the fire was deliberate, it wasn't meant to cause harm but to destroy evidence or maybe it wasn't deliberate but the driver was somehow aware that danger was imminent.  That the truck was stolen doesn't rule either out.  If the driver was supposed to be in the truck, they likely would have stayed nearby if they sensed danger, but a thief would run, so either is still possible. 

Criminy.  I just hate a lack of information, it makes me speculate. 

I'm not sure there's much you could have done differently.  Listening to that gift of fear upon finding the cab empty was a good move and locking your doors to be safe while on the phone was spot on. 

I keep meaning to put a better flashlight in my van, but I don't because I have precisely one flashlight that I actually like and it's not available to purchase any more of.  I have flashlights in my van, I just don't like any of them.  I'm very annoyed by not being able to find another flashlight I actually like and I'm very annoyed that the one I do like is no longer available.  I have been in the flashlight thread and tried a myriad of recommendations from there and from flashlight and EDC snobs on Reddit.  I guess I'm just too picky.

Ok Which is the flashlight you like. And we'll go from there.

And you should always have a flashlight on your person

Many have tried to go from there, but I'll humor you.  It's a Coleman Max purchased from a Walmart probably a decade or so ago.  I'm pretty sure I posted a photo and description of it in the flashlight thread. 

I have flashlights in every car and one on my keyring as well as several in key locations throughout the house.  Raptor sent me several to try out that have made it into my army of illumination.  I'm never without a flashlight, but have been in situations where I needed one and completely forgot the location of every single one to go in search of wherever I last had The One.  😂

[Mr. E. Monkey]

It's a Coleman Max purchased from a Walmart probably a decade or so ago.

Coleman 765826 3AAA Ultra High Power LED Flashlight Black - Walmart.com
 
Like this little guy?


This one  Coleman OneSource Outdoor 600 Lumens Rechargeable Lithium Ion Flashlight - Walmart.com is a bit more expensive, but brighter, and looks to be rechargeable.  Not sure if that's quite what you're looking for, but maybe it's close?

[Raptor]

I think you did pretty good, so cut yourself some slack.
 
A truck stopped in the road is not something that would have set off my alarms. Having it catch on fire is also not something I would have had on my "bingo card".
Yes a handheld fire extinguisher for something like this is going to do exactly nothing to stem a fuel fire.



BTW if you are in a car you have great light source...just point the headlights at direction needed and hit the high beams. That said yes I do have at least one flashlight in every car and as a result I have  never needed one...but I am sure that if i did not have one in the car I would need it...never fails.




 

[Anianna]

It's a Coleman Max purchased from a Walmart probably a decade or so ago.

Coleman 765826 3AAA Ultra High Power LED Flashlight Black - Walmart.com
 
Like this little guy?


This one  Coleman OneSource Outdoor 600 Lumens Rechargeable Lithium Ion Flashlight - Walmart.com is a bit more expensive, but brighter, and looks to be rechargeable.  Not sure if that's quite what you're looking for, but maybe it's close?

Yes, that's the one.  Funny that Walmart still has the listing.  It hasn't been available for years now.  I would buy several if I could.

The OneSource is not a bad flashlight, it's just not The One worthy to me.  It's size, weight, and shape taken as a whole is an awkward feel to me and I think it costs way more than it needs to even with the rechargeable tech. 

Also, I know it's not ideal to hold flashlights in your teeth, but, in a pinch, that short bit on the back of the Max is perfect for comfortably holding in your teeth.  Sometimes you just need to be able to get your hands free.

Imo, the Max is the perfect size and shape and produces the perfect amount, color, and shape of light for indoor use like checking the breaker box when the power goes out or checking under the coffee table when I drop a pill.  It was decent for outdoor use when taking the dog out after dark, too. 

Additionally, and this may seem odd, I don't like cycling through settings and while I can accept high and low options, I'm particularly bothered by having to cycle through a strobe setting.  The Max was on or off.  That's it.  That's all I wanted.

It's just the best flashlight I've ever had and I really wish I could buy more of them. 

It's also Handy Kid's favorite flashlight and I have to track him down when he uses it to make sure I get it back.  He will seek it out over every other flashlight in the house, even his own. 

Nothing else I have tried has measured up.



ETA: Just for some nostalgia, I read a few reviews of the Max.  One of the one-star reviews said, "First, you need a screw driver to change the batteries" and I'm a little alarmed because you absolutely do not need a screw driver to change the batteries.  0.0

[NT2C]

No Flashlight ?   Tell me you at least had a knife
 
Flybynight's list of essential things to never leave the house without. EVER

Pistol
Flash light
Knife
House keys
Wallet
Cell Phone

Don't leave home without it

I had all but the flashlight, and stupidly left the phone in the car.  Lesson learned (and fortunately, not the hard way this time).

The really aggravating part of that is that I frequently do carry a flashlight (just a Coast G20 penlight, but it's actually pretty decent for routine/light use), but it doesn't ride well in the pockets of the pants I was wearing that night (I know, excuses don't solve anything).  That's something that I need to reevaluate.

For your consideration:  https://a.co/cWbrgfn

I have a few of these and there's always one in my pocket, powered with a rechargeable Li-Ion 14500 cell.  I will also say that their customer service is excellent.  I had gifted one to a friend and it stopped working.  Contacted Lumintop by email and they sent one out to me the same day.  Got it two days later.  (Turned out the circuit board in the tailcap had started to unscrew and stopped making battery contact - easy fix)

[Mr. E. Monkey]

I think you did pretty good, so cut yourself some slack.
 
A truck stopped in the road is not something that would have set off my alarms. Having it catch on fire is also not something I would have had on my "bingo card".
Yes a handheld fire extinguisher for something like this is going to do exactly nothing to stem a fuel fire.

I appreciate it.  At the end of the day, there was no loss of life, injury, or major property damage (aside from the truck), so any prep fails were not that bad, but even when everything goes well, there are still opportunities to learn and improve on.  And I figure if anyone is going to have any useful insights on what to do better next time, it's this bunch of folks.  


Once the truck went up the way it did, there was nothing my little extinguisher could have done, that's a fact, but if I had noticed a small fire in the cab, or something like that, it could have possibly prevented it from turning into a larger fire.  Wasn't the case here, no, but it's a good reminder to have one and check it regularly.

BTW if you are in a car you have great light source...just point the headlights at direction needed and hit the high beams. That said yes I do have at least one flashlight in every car and as a result I have  never needed one...but I am sure that if i did not have one in the car I would need it...never fails.

Y'all are going to love this.  I was going through the center console yesterday to find a cd to play in the car, and you know what I found?

Yeah, I did have a flashlight in the car already.     I need to get a little more organized.  I have a storage tote with some tools, FAK, and a jumper kit in the trunk, but I guess I need to figure something out in the passenger space.  Probably not a seatback organizer, as I don't really want to advertise that I've got some fun tools and stuff in the car, and I would probably end up taking it off and leaving it in the house on the wrong day...

Good tip about the high beams, too--that would have been an improvement.  It probably wouldn't have changed the outcome in this situation at all, but it's a good tool to keep in mind.

[Mr. E. Monkey]

For your consideration:  https://a.co/cWbrgfn

I have a few of these and there's always one in my pocket, powered with a rechargeable Li-Ion 14500 cell.  I will also say that their customer service is excellent.  I had gifted one to a friend and it stopped working.  Contacted Lumintop by email and they sent one out to me the same day.  Got it two days later.  (Turned out the circuit board in the tailcap had started to unscrew and stopped making battery contact - easy fix)

That looks like a nice light!  I think I'm set for now, but I will keep that one in mind if I ever need an excuse to buy another light. 

[Mr. E. Monkey]

Yes, that's the one.  Funny that Walmart still has the listing.  It hasn't been available for years now.  I would buy several if I could.

The OneSource is not a bad flashlight, it's just not The One worthy to me.  It's size, weight, and shape taken as a whole is an awkward feel to me and I think it costs way more than it needs to even with the rechargeable tech. 

Also, I know it's not ideal to hold flashlights in your teeth, but, in a pinch, that short bit on the back of the Max is perfect for comfortably holding in your teeth.  Sometimes you just need to be able to get your hands free.

Imo, the Max is the perfect size and shape and produces the perfect amount, color, and shape of light for indoor use like checking the breaker box when the power goes out or checking under the coffee table when I drop a pill.  It was decent for outdoor use when taking the dog out after dark, too. 

Additionally, and this may seem odd, I don't like cycling through settings and while I can accept high and low options, I'm particularly bothered by having to cycle through a strobe setting.  The Max was on or off.  That's it.  That's all I wanted.

It's just the best flashlight I've ever had and I really wish I could buy more of them. 

It's also Handy Kid's favorite flashlight and I have to track him down when he uses it to make sure I get it back.  He will seek it out over every other flashlight in the house, even his own. 

Nothing else I have tried has measured up.



ETA: Just for some nostalgia, I read a few reviews of the Max.  One of the one-star reviews said, "First, you need a screw driver to change the batteries" and I'm a little alarmed because you absolutely do not need a screw driver to change the batteries.  0.0

None of that sounds odd to me.  I have a Walmart brand light (Ozark Trail) that is somewhere around 200 - 300 lumens, and runs on 2 AA batteries.  Cost about $10 when I bought it, but I haven't seen them at Walmart in years now.  It checks a lot of the boxes for me, just like the Coleman Max does for you.  And, as it turns out, that's the one that was hiding in the center console.  On the one hand, I'm happy I found it, but on the other, a bit irritated that I didn't remember that I had put it in there in the first place, and didn't use it when it would have been really useful.  

Additionally, and this may seem odd, I don't like cycling through settings and while I can accept high and low options, I'm particularly bothered by having to cycle through a strobe setting.  The Max was on or off.  That's it.  That's all I wanted.
 

I am 100% with you on that.  Sure, some of the different options can be useful in some situations, but all I want is a good bright light for outdoors, and maybe one that is not so bright for non-tactical situations in the house -- checking the breaker box, looking under the table or bed or things like that.  That's really about it.  I have a chinesium rechargeable light that the Mrs. got me for Christmas or my birthday last year that has low, med, high, and surface of the sun.  It's nice, in a way, to have all the options in one light, but I usually only use medium and high -- low is "find your way to the kitchen without waking anybody up", and surface of the sun is nice, but it drains the battery a lot more quickly, and high is plenty bright already.

A rotary switch or something that lets you select one mode, and keep it on that one single mode, would be great.

[Anianna]

A rotary switch or something that lets you select one mode, and keep it on that one single mode, would be great.

Yes!  Years ago, I had one of those chunky car emergency lights and it had a slider to set which mode it came on.  Why did modern lights forego that in preference of a cycling on switch?  So frustrating!

[EBuff75]

BTW if you are in a car you have great light source...just point the headlights at direction needed and hit the high beams. That said yes I do have at least one flashlight in every car and as a result I have  never needed one...but I am sure that if i did not have one in the car I would need it...never fails.

Good tip about the high beams, too--that would have been an improvement.  It probably wouldn't have changed the outcome in this situation at all, but it's a good tool to keep in mind.

One of the best upgrades that I did for my car was to put some high-output LEDs in the high beams.  I'm not blinding people with them, because I only use the high beams when there aren't any cars coming toward me (or within a half-mile or so ahead of me).  They light up the road like day time when they're on!

Here's the picture I took right after installing them (everything was extra-dark from a recent rain).  For reference, the neighbor's garage door is 260ft (79m) away.
You cannot view this attachment.

Bulb Facts is a great website for headlight reviews, although they haven't posted much in the last few years.  With most cars changing over to integrated LEDs, there really aren't options for people to upgrade their lights on new cars.

[Anianna]

I'm not blinding people with them, because I only use the high beams when there aren't any cars coming toward me (or within a half-mile or so ahead of me). 

Thank you.  Can you please come do an awareness campaign in the Richmond area and along the 95 corridor?  -_-