A recycling truck caught fire in west Lincoln on Wednesday, shooting black smoke into the sky, officials said.
The fire occurred about 1:30 p.m. on the property of a business near North First and Q streets.
A Lincoln Fire and Rescue spokesperson said the fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damage to the semitrailer truck and its contents, including crushed cars and appliances.
The spokesperson said the value of the semi was about $90,000, and it might be repairable.
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The fire was sparked when an airbag in a compacted car being hauled by the truck exploded, the spokesperson said.
Recyclers typically remove airbags, fuel and oil from cars before crushing them in a compactor, but the airbag must have been overlooked and exploded when the truck’s loading device crushed it again, the spokesperson said.
Firefighters had water on the fire in about 10 minutes, and nobody was hurt.
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