A semi-trailer caught fire on the Dempster Highway early Thursday morning, destroying the three vehicles it was hauling.
The incident is not suspicious, said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Don Rogers, but the police are investigating to figure out exactly what happened.
The fire began on the trailer itself and not the vehicles, according to the driver’s testimony, said Rogers.
The RCMP are trying to determine whether the brakes overheated or some other mechanical malfunction started the blaze, he said.
The driver’s statements have thus far been consistent with an accidental fire springing from the trailer, he said.
The driver was travelling south and approaching the Klondike Highway junction when he first noticed the fire at around 12:45 a.m.
He tried using a fire extinguisher to keep the vehicles safe.
But the fire spread quickly and the driver ended up disconnecting his cab after the vehicles caught fire.
Firefighters from Dawson and Yukon fire management got the fire under control within two hours.
RCMP opened the highway to one-way traffic until late Friday evening when the trailer was finally removed, said Rogers. (James Munson)