Truck in flames after catching on fire in Southern Tablelands

A truckdriver managed to scape the cab of his truck moments before fire took hold while travelling on the Kings Highway.

Fire crews came to the aid of a truck engulfed in flames while ravelling through a mountain in the Southern Tablelands on Tuesday morning.

The blaze broke out just before 8am as the truck was driving on the Kings Highway at Clyde Mountain.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews managed to extinguish the semi-trailer and save the heavy machinery in it, including some excavators, however the truck was destroyed.

Fire and Rescue NSW crews extinguish a semi-trailer on fire at Clyde Mountain. Picture: Fire and Rescue NSW

The crews from Braidwood Fire Station were joined by police and the Rural Fire Service in helping with the situation.

Crews were at the scene for almost three hours.

A police officer from Queanbeyan police station confirmed the fire was caused by a mechanical fault to the truck’s engine.

The man driving managed to get out unscathed, right before the flames caught on more of the vehicle and grew bigger, a police officer said.

Superintendent Scott Dodson from Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) said this is a timely reminder that calling triple-0 (000) when you are involved in or see a crash can be “the difference between life and death.”

“Get out of the car, call triple-0, and don’t go back in to get any belongings because chances are, it’s not worth risking you life over,” Superintendent Dodson said.

“The triple-0 (000) service is the quickest way to get the right resources from emergency services to help you.”