Tyre fire damages highway

A SEMI-TRAILER loaded with tyres which caught alight late on Monday night sparked a large grass fire and damaged the newly paved Warrego Hwy west of Toowoomba.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services responded to the incident west of the roadworks on the highway between Dulacca and Drillham about 8pm.

The prime mover had been detached from the trailer loaded with tyres by the time crews arrived on scene 26km west of Miles.

Sparks from the tyres quickly spread into grassland on both sides of the highway, closing it to all traffic.

Dulacca Rural Fire Service crews contained the grass fire as QFES urban crews began extinguishing the raging tyre fire on the trailer.

Crews remained on scene until just before 7am yesterday.

The Western Downs Regional Council at 9.30am sent a loader to spread the tyres, with a second QFES crew sent to the scene to extinguish the hot spots.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads reported the Warrego Highway had been damaged as a result of the fire, with crews assessing the road yesterday.

The driver of the truck was not injured as a result of the incident.