A tractor-trailer fire on the westbound shoulder of Highway 82 resulted in the highway being closed for more than an hour on Tuesday afternoon.
Bob Brandt of Patagonia was the first vehicle to come upon the incident while driving westbound at about 3 p.m. He reported seeing a huge cloud of black smoke above the treeline and then came upon the truck, which was engulfed in flames. Brandt called 911 and was told firetrucks were on their way. He then spotted a person, most likely the driver, walking briskly away from the burning truck on the opposite side of the road. As the person was walking away, two of the truck’s tires exploded with a loud blast and were blown across the road onto the eastbound shoulder.
The closure resulted in a delay in school buses transporting students home from Patagonia to Sonoita.