Horse truck fire volunteers ‘saved the day’

EXCLUSIVE: The transport owner involved in Saturday night’s truck fire carrying 14 horses has praised the efforts of local emergency services and people who volunteered to assist on the night.

The semi-trailer had been transporting 14 brood mare racehorses when it caught alight on the Hume Highway near the Service Centre.

Emergency and veterinary crews were called to attend the scene at 6.15pm.

The driver escaped uninjured but reportedly suffered shock and some smoke inhalation.

The highway was blocked for several hours as the fire was extinguished and the horses were unloaded and assessed.

Within minutes of Scoop Yass Valley breaking the story at 6.30pm, local horse owners and residents were offering the use of their horse floats and paddocks if needed.

Thirteen of the mares survived the fire, and one horse had to be euthanised because it broke its leg in a panic as it was being unloaded.

The transport owner, who did not wish to be named, said the truck driver and horses were back to “100 per cent” health.

Although it was a horrifying and stressful accident, he said it couldn’t have happened in a better town.

“It was sad what happened, but it couldn’t have happened in a better place.

“It was a very stressful situation, we’ve been running trucks for 35 years and this is the first incident we’ve had.

“And it was a big one – we don’t do anything by halves!”

He praised the efforts of emergency services attending on the night.

“The emergency services and everybody who came did an amazing job. The sergeant that was there and the fire brigade and everybody who was involved, all the volunteers – they saved the day because without them we wouldn’t be where we are today,” he told Scoop.

Dr Fiona McPhail and Heidi Broers, from Yass Veterinary Hospital, said arriving at the scene and not knowing what to expect was distressing.

“There were lots of lights and smoke and horses,” Dr McPhail said.

“When we first pulled up we could hear the horses, one horse in particular, kicking around and whinnying [inside the truck],” Ms Broers said.

“But once we started assessing the horses and knew what we were dealing with, it felt a bit better,” Dr McPhail said.

They said two of the horses were treated for severe injuries, one at their clinic and one was referred on to Canberra Equine. They suffered burns and symptoms of shock.

“The mares with the burns have been steadily improving but they are still undergoing veterinary treatment,” Dr McPhail said.

“We are very thankful for the overwhelming response of people offering to help, pulling up on the side of the highway, the offers to take the horses in and to transport them,” Ms Broers said.

They were particularly grateful for Murrumbateman company Flynn’s Horse Transport, for arriving at the scene to assist so promptly.

“They transported some of the horses and have stabled some of them as well,” Ms Broers said.

The horses remain in the local area and are expected to be transported later this week when they are more settled.

The cause of the fire remains unknown but is believed to have started in the engine.