Authorities are looking into whether a discarded cigarette from a passing vehicle on Interstate 95 sparked a fire in a trailer that killed six thoroughbred horses.
North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper K.B. Heath said the drivers of a tractor-trailer traveling from Florida to New York pulled the vehicle over after discovering smoke coming from the trailer Friday evening on I-95 about three miles south of Rocky Mount.
He said straw and hay inside the trailer ignited and the men were unable to get the horses out. The co-driver of the vehicle suffered minor burns. Traffic backed up five miles while fire officials put out the blaze.
Heath said a preliminary investigation indicates the possibility the fire started from a discarded cigarette as no electrical problems with the truck were found.
Topics North Carolina
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
As Rates Rise, Majority of Homeowners Say Insurance Industry Is in Crisis: Survey 
US Roof Maintenance Lags: Hanover 
Scientists Concerned That a Bird Flu Pandemic Is ‘Unfolding in Slow Motion’ 
Three Charged With Helping Agents Cheat on Florida Insurance License Exams 
