Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Travelers lose motor home in Interstate fire

A family en route from San Antonio to their home in Wellington, Tenn., were set back on their trip as a fire destroyed their motor home Tuesday, April 8, around 4:30 p.m.

William Howard and his family were driving eastbound on Interstate 30 when cars passing noticed the fire coming from the 38-foot, 1998 model Fleetwood Pace Arrow motor home.

When the problem came to Howards attention, he pulled off the Interstate and attempted to extinguish the fire; but the flames had completely engulfed the motor home, according to Corporal Mark Batson of Arkansas State Police.

Batson said a mechanical failure caused the fire, and soon thereafter ruptured propane tanks in the motor home.

State police and volunteer fire fighters from Gum Springs responded to the scene at mile marker 66.

Curtis Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the fire to assist with their water tanker truck.

Police shut down the eastbound lane of I-30 for about 30 minutes  until the propane tanks were empty  as a safety precaution in case of an explosion, Batson said. Traffic in the lane was at a standstill for three miles between Exit 63 and the scene of the fire.

Mark Batson, Corporal arkansas state police ...

501-767-8550