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Lucky escape as truck carrying 25,000 litres of oil erupts into fireball with 40m high flames

A truck driver made a miraculous escape before his prime mover, carrying 25,000 litres of oil, erupted in flames, north of Adelaide.

Incredible footage shows 40 metre high flames that engulfed the truck and that lit up the night sky.

The quick-thinking driver risked his life to save his truck and a trailer by unhooking them moments before the blaze.

Incredible footage shows 40 metre high flames that engulfed the truck and that lit up the night sky. Pictures: 7 News
Incredible footage shows 40 metre high flames that engulfed the truck and that lit up the night sky. Pictures: 7 News

He was driving along the Sturt Highway, near Truro, early in the morning when he ran into trouble.

The raging inferno was captured on camera by a CFS volunteer on Wednesday.

“Another driver I think flashed him and he sort of looked in his mirrors and saw sparks or something and pulled over,” CFS volunteer Kerry Munchenberg told 7 News.

“We were probably about 200 metres away from the actual fire reaching to about 30 to 40 metres in height,” Ms Munchenberg said.

He was driving along South Australia's Sturt Highway, near Truro, early in the morning when he ran into trouble. Pictures: 7 News
He was driving along South Australia's Sturt Highway, near Truro, early in the morning when he ran into trouble. Pictures: 7 News


“They would have been 100 feet in the air and every time another container would go off there would be this big atom of smoke and stuff it was very intense.”

At the height of the drama flames raced through dry grass towards paddocks but 70 firefighters on scene stopped them crossing the Sturt Highway.

The heat of the fire was so intense it turned metal on the truck into a liquid and shattered boulders nearby.

The trailer was so badly burned investigators cannot tell how the blaze started.

A local farmer who has a neighbouring property of more than 1600 hectares thanked CFS volunteers for their quick work in controlling the blaze.

"Thanks guys you did a great job,” he said.

The lost oil is estimated to be worth about $300,000.