WA authorities slammed after our trucks catch on fire at SA-WA border checkpoint

A road transport industry leader says SA truckies may boycott the WA border, saying that state’s “appalling” Covid rules were partly to blame for multiple trucks catching fire yesterday.

A road transport industry leader has slammed the WA authorities after four trucks burst into flames while waiting for Covid-19 tests at the South Australia and Western Australia border on Monday afternoon.

Up to four trucks caught fire, in what SA Police say is a non-suspicious blaze, near the Border Village Roadhouse on the Eyre Hwy about 3pm.

The blaze was ignited while drivers were waiting for Covid-19 tests.

The cause has not been determined but it is believed it may have started from a hot tyre, which ignited and spread.

There were no injuries reported.

Trucks caught alight on the WA and SA border on Monday afternoon. Picture: 7NEWS/Supplied

The trucks were waiting for Covid-19 tests. Picture: 7NEWS/Supplied

Speaking to ABC Adelaide on Tuesday, South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA) executive director Steve Shearer blamed the WA authorities for the spread of the fire.

When you’ve got trucks parked up in such a dense formation as the WA police are forcing, it’s inevitable that the risk of spreading is greater,” he said.

“We can’t blame them for the fire starting, but I think we can certainly point the finger at them for it being far worse than it needed to be.”

He said truck drivers were fed up with the treatment they have across the border.

“The WA authorities have no regard or respect for the truck drivers who are keeping their community fed ... “It is appalling.” he said.

“It is not often that you hear an almost universal cry from truck drivers, and I’ll put it politely ... ‘bugger them, how about we just don’t go there’.”

He said the damage cost to each truck would have been anywhere between $500,000 to $1m.