Owner operators already out of luck in new year after truck lot fire destroys rigs 

Police are investigating after five semi trucks and several other vehicles caught fire in Rhode Island on Thursday afternoon. 

The incident occurred on December 29th in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at the RoadOne truck yard on Prospect Street. 

Deputy State Fire Marshal James Given says the fire likely started in the cab of one of the semi trucks and then spread to the others. The truck where the fire is believed to have started is heavily damaged, making it difficult to assess how exactly the fire began. 

A sedan, and a pickup truck were also damaged in the fire. No one was hurt in the incident. 

WPRI News reports that all of the semi trucks are owner-operated. 

“It’s got to be very difficult,” Given said. “These vehicles are how these people make their living, so if they don’t have a truck, they’re not working.”