Dec. 06--An industrial trash hauler caught fire in Dania Beach Thursday injuring a man who jumped from the burning vehicle, according to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.
The truck caught fire around 4:30 p.m. as it was making a dumpster pickup in a warehouse district at 1340 Stirling Road, fire rescue spokesman Mike Jachles said.
"The driver had a helper on board and the helper climbed on the roof of the dump truck and attempted to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher," he said. "When he was unsuccessful and realized the fire was just growing, he jumped off the top of the dump truck."
The drop was about 18-feet, Jachles estimated, and the man in his 40s suffered minor injuries.
He was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood.
The truck and its trash cargo were consumed by flames and shrouded in thick gray smoke. Firefighters used foam to smother the fire and prevent damage to the neighboring buildings, he said.
"We had a report of an explosion," Jachles said. "The front driver's side tire blew off of the truck during the fire and landed about 50 feet from the truck."
The cause of the fire was being investigated.
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