Jackson city firefighters were greeted by towering flames when a semi-truck caught fire Wednesday evening on the lot of Fannin Trucking at 307 Athens Street. Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from damaging a nearby building and an attached trailer. The cause of the fire was not immediately determined. (Photo Courtesy of Jackson Police Department)

Jackson city firefighters were greeted by towering flames when a semi-truck caught fire Wednesday evening on the lot of Fannin Trucking at 307 Athens Street. Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from damaging a nearby building and an attached trailer. The cause of the fire was not immediately determined. (Photo Courtesy of Jackson Police Department)

A vehicle was lost, but a building was spared when a fire broke out on the lot of a Jackson trucking company Wednesday evening, February 11.

The first fire occurred at 9:27 p.m. when Jackson city firefighters were called to the lot of Fannin Trucking, located at 307 Athens Street, where a semi-truck had caught on fire. The truck was fully engulfed in flames and could not be saved.

The 2001 model Mack semi was parked within about five feet of a building, but firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to the structure. However, the trailer of another semi-tractor trailer parked alongside the one which caught on fire, did sustain some damage to a tire and the exterior lights.

Jackson Fire Chief David Channell said the cause of the fire was not immediately determined and no one was at the property when the fire started. Firefighters were on that scene until 10:12 p.m.
Jackson firefighters had a very busy and long night as they later provided mutual aid to the Liberty Township Fire Department for a fire at a residence on Caves Road west of Jackson (see separate story). Jackson firefighters were actually on the way back to the fire station when they received the call for mutual aid at 10:17 p.m.

While still at the Caves Road fire, Jackson city firefighters were dispatched to the scene of a wreck on State Route 788, just outside the city limits. Jackson firefighters were finally finished with their long night at about 3 a.m. Thursday.