FIREFIGHTERS tackled a fire on a road tanker transporting 26,000 litres of cooking oil.
The driver detected burning as he was coming down Galley Bank, on the A66 close to Bowes, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, shortly before 4pm on Sunday.
As the smell got stronger, the driver pulled over and called the emergency services, just as flames began to appear inside the cab of the vehicle, close to the gear stick.
Firefighters said that when they arrived the load of cooking oil was at risk.
A spokesman for Barnard Castle fire station said: "When we arrived the cab was well alight and the front of the tank was actually on fire.
"The oil inside the tanker could have burnt if the tanker ruptured, causing quite a mess, but there was no risk of an explosion and the fire was soon brought under control."
Appliances from fire stations in Barnard Castle and Bishop Auckland attended.
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