Truck fire closes AP-7 highway near La Jonquera, Spain, Digi Mart USA News (Biure, Spain): Drivers planning to cross the France-Spain border on Monday morning should expect complicated traffic conditions. A truck caught fire on the AP-7 highway, the extension of Spain’s A9 motorway, at Biure, roughly ten kilometers south of La Jonquera.
The highway was briefly closed in both directions and remained closed Monday morning toward Barcelona between exits 2 (Grand Jonquera) and 3 (Pont de Molins, before Figueres) on a 14-kilometer stretch while the truck was evacuated and the roadway was cleaned. Traffic has increased on the N-II, the alternative route, and drivers are advised to exercise extra caution.
The accident was reported around 2 a.m. on the AP-7 at Biure, between La Jonquera and Figueres.
A heavy goods vehicle traveling toward France caught fire. Catalan firefighters immediately dispatched six crews to the scene.
Because the fire was very intense, the Bombers needed about two hours to extinguish the flames before they could reach the cab. Once inside, they found that the truck was carrying wooden planks three centimeters thick, which accounted for the intensity of the blaze.
Firefighters used a forklift to lift the planks, which were still smoldering, according to reports from the Catalan media outlet Empordà.
According to preliminary investigation findings, the truck suffered a tire blowout. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which struck the safety barrier before catching fire.
The driver was slightly injured in the accident.
