Burning garbage truck closes Norwalk road

NORWALK, Conn. – A burning garbage truck wreaked havoc on Connecticut Avenue Friday afternoon, blackening the mood of some Norwalk shoppers as it caused a roadblock near Best Buy during the long awaited Black Friday shopping period.

Drivers were turned away from the closed section near Swanky Franks for almost an hour, Norwalk Deputy Fire Chief Ed Prescott said. The truck continued to burn deep in its garbage container as it was towed to the Can Man Carting facility on Meadow Street, where the fire was eventually extinguished, Prescott said.

Firefighters responding to the 1:30 p.m. call found the cab of the front loading garbage truck well involved in fire as it sat in the middle of Connecticut Avenue between the Interstate 95 exit 14 off ramp and Scribner Avenue, Prescott said. The fire was spreading to the contents of the garbage container and a second truck was called in to bring in extra water.

A fire engine and a police car escorted the burning truck as it was taken to Meadow Street by Nat’s Towing, Prescott said. Normally, the burning contents would have been dumped onto a vacant lot and extinguished, but the truck’s electrical and hydraulic systems had been compromised by the fire.

Southbound drivers were diverted at the entrance ramp and northbound traffic was diverted at Scribner Avenue, Prescott said.

The fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.