A truck fire on the M7 at Eastern Creek caused major delays for Western Sydney motorists. The driver, aged in his 50s, escaped before emergency crews arrived and was treated for minor injuries.

Eastern Creek

A truck carrying plastic beads caught fire on the M7 motorway in Eastern Creek, quickly engulfing both the cabin and trailer in flames. Emergency crews, including the Rural Fire Service, responded to the intense blaze, which sent smoke high above the motorway and halted southbound traffic.

The 57-year-old driver escaped without injury, though visibly distressed by the loss of his vehicle. Firefighters focused on extinguishing the flames and making the area safe, including removing approximately 300 litres of diesel from the damaged truck. Clean-up crews worked to clear the road, and the motorway was reopened with a reduced speed limit to ensure safety.

Truck fire shuts down M7 lanes at Eastern Creek

Engulfed in an orange glow, it took just moments for flames to raise from the cabin to the trailer, sending plumes of smoke high up above the M7 and bringing southbound traffic to a halt. With no nearby water source, several trucks, including backup from the RFS, were needed to tackle the plastic bead fuelled fire. You can see by the results of the truck, what's left of it or what's not left of it, how intense that fire was. It all happened just before 5am, the truck hitting a median strip before bursting into flames. Incredibly, the 57-year-old man behind the wheel was unharmed. Yeah, the driver's lucky and fortunate and obviously a bit distressed seeing his rig or his truck basically consumed by fire. After it was out, firefighters' attention quickly turned to making the area safe. Siphoning out about 300 litres of diesel from the melted fuel tanks before the wreck was towed away. As well as extinguishing the flames, one of the key priorities for fire crews was to protect the tyres so that the truck and trailers could be cleared quickly and the clean-up efforts could roll on. Vacuum trucks, bobcats and sweepers brought in to scrape the road clean and by lunchtime the motorway reopened, but at a reduced speed limit of 40kmh, making for a slow but steady commute home. Tallulah Thompson, 10 News.

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