Exploding trailer fire a 'miracle'

Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton said it was a miracle that the American Coffee House on Highway 31 wasn't engulfed in flames Monday night when a 24-foot utility trailer full of household furnishings and 5 gallons of black powder caught fire and exploded within 10 feet of the building.

Stanton said the Flomaton Police Department received a 911 call at 8:02 p.m. in reference to an 18-wheeler on fire in from of American Coffee House.

Stanton said he was the first on the scene and saw the trailer fully-involved in flames. Stanton asked the driver what was inside in the trailer and was told household items, like furniture and other things.

"He was saying that he had 5 gallons of black powder in the trailer when it exploded," Stanton said.

Stanton said the explosion sent burning pieces of the trailer on the roof over the porch at the coffee house.

"When the fire truck arrived I told them to extinguish the coffee house first," Stanton said.

Firefighters from Flomaton, Century and Friendship responded along with the Med 16 ambulance.

Stanton said he talked to the driver of the truck that was pulling the utility trailer who said he was from Navarre and had been to Indiana to collect stuff from his mother's house, noting his mother had recently died.

The trailer apparently blew out a tire coming down Highway 113. As it was coming down Highway 31 the rim apparently began to spark and caught the trailer on fire so he pulled over in front of the coffee house.

Stanton said firemen had to basically unload the trailer to get the fire out.

"We're lucky it happened at eight o'clock instead of in the middle of the night," Stanton said. "We had people close to the fire house when the call came in."

The American Coffee House received minor damage and was open as usual Tuesday morning.