WATERVILLE— A tractor-trailer carrying about 40,000 pounds of french fries caught fire Tuesday night in the parking lot of Walmart.

The driver, who did not want to give his name, said he had pulled into the Walmart parking lot on Wal-Mart Commons Drive while on his way from Prince Edward Island to New Jersey. He said he could smell smoke from the back of the truck but wasn’t sure what caused the fire. The truck is operated by Midland Transport Limited, a Dieppe, New Brunswick-based company.

According to Waterville Fire Chief David LaFountain, the fire is believed to have originated from brakes that overheated. He said the fire, which broke out in the middle of a busy parking lot around 7 p.m., did not pose any serious safety concerns aside from some traffic congestion.

“It would be more of a danger if it were something hazardous, but it looks like ordinary combustible material,” he said.

No injuries were reported.


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