MOSES LAKE – A tractor-trailer carrying cardboard on State Route 17 ignited Monday morning at around 9:30 a.m. just north of Rocky Ford Creek, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman.  

Units from Grant County Fire District 5 arrived on the scene at around 9:45 a.m., he said. 

Washington State Patrol Trooper Sage Schafer said the truck was traveling to Moses Lake when the recycled cardboard caught fire.  

“I don’t know if it caught on fire from the exhaust of something else,” Schafer said. “He was able to disconnect the semi-truck from the trailer so that it did not burn. The trailer was damaged a little bit in the fire, but once the cardboard started going up, it just fell off the trailer into the middle of the road. That is why the road has been blocked for so long.” 

Schafer said there were no injuries, and the fire was contained to the trailer and roadway.  

Schafer said WSP had issues finding someone to come pick up the burnt, soggy cardboard from the road and that’s why the road was blocked until about 2 p.m.  

As of 2 p.m. Monday, the road had reopened to the public with no further updates to come. 

“As always, if you see something going wrong, such as a fire on a semi-truck load, call 911 and report it,” Schafer said. “Then, stay back because when something is on fire, especially if the driver doesn't know what is happening, we don’t want the debris to fall off on you or your vehicle.” 

Editor's Note: This story has been updated throughout and this is the final update.

    On Monday morning, a tractor trailer carrying recycled cardboard caught on fire on its way to Moses Lake on state Route 17 near Rocky Ford Creek. The fire is out, no injuries occurred, and the road is back open as of 2 p.m. Monday.