DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A tractor-trailer burst into flames at a repair shop Thursday, severely burning a worker and injuring two workers who helped to pull him out.
Fire officials told Channel 2 Action News that a worker was inside the 18-wheeler doing welding work when something ignited, causing a large fire.
The accident happened in the 4300 block of Old McDonough Road, in the southwest corner of DeKalb.
A man who works just across the street told Channel 2's Kristian Holloway that he heard two or three loud booms and then saw a huge cloud of smoke.
The injured worker was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with severe burns over half of his body. He's now in critical condition at the Grady burn unit.
One worker suffered smoke inhalation and another hurt his knee after trying to pull the worker out of the 18-wheeler.
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It's still unclear what caused the fire, but DeKalb Fire & Rescue Capt. Deion Bentley said it may have been something flammable inside the trailer or the building.
"They were doing some welding inside of the bed," Bentley said. "As they were cutting on the trailer, people inside said they heard a large bang."
An explosion after a worker was working inside a trailer of a truck here at this building on Old McDonough Road in Dekalb County. Dekalb Fire say the worker has severe burns. Crews on scene are working to put the fire out. Updates on Channel 2 Action News. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/xUn88tw2dx
— Kristen Holloway (@KHollowayWSB) February 14, 2019
Holloway spoke to a manger at JCS who didn't want to be identified. He said that in the 40 years he has worked for the company, this has never happened.
He called it a freak accident.
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