Truck carrying explosives allowed to burn deep in Lexington quarry

A truck carrying explosives caught fire inside a Lexington quarry, but the fire department concluded the equipment could be left to burn since there would not be a major impact if it blew, a fire official said.

Vulcan Materials Company at 1280 Manchester Street reported the truck on fire about 2:10 p.m. The truck was reportedly on the third level of one of the quarries.

Everyone was evacuated safely from the quarry, according to Lexington Fire Department Lt. Jessica Bowman. That area of the quarry has been closed and sealed for safety, she said.

The decision was made by the fire department to let the truck burn, Bowman said. People at ground level are not in danger.

“The truck was so deep that even if it does explode, it would not cause any problems,” she said.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

Police briefly shut down several roads near the quarry, including Forbes Road and Old Frankfort Pike.

This story was originally published December 13, 2018 at 4:11 PM.