On Wednesday, The Westport Fire Department Emergency Communications Center received a call for a
reported truck fire Thursday morning at 9:52am. The fire department responded with two
engines and the shift commander. Fire companies arrived and found the rear area of a
landscaping truck, its machinery, and its contents on fire. The fire was quickly extinguished.
The landscape company employees reported that a fire started on the attached leaf vacuum and
spread to the leaf vacuum’s gas tank. While a landscaping employee was attempting to extinguish
the fire with a fire extinguisher, the gas tank attached to the leaf vacuum failed. As a result of
the gas tank failure the employee’s clothes caught fire as well as the backpack blower and leaves
in the area. The employee was able to remove the burning clothes without getting burned.
Westport EMS responded to evaluate the workers. No persons were required transport to the
hospital.
The Westport Fire Marshal’s Office responded to conduct the fire investigation. The Westport
Police Department responded to provided traffic control.