(Spirit Lake)– Some burning mattresses caused some excitement Thursday afternoon in downtown Spirit Lake.
Authorities say two mattresses being hauled on a truck caught fire as it was travelling on Highways nine and 71. One was either pulled or fell off the truck just north of the courthouse; the other came off near the Methodist Church. Both were completely engulfed in flames in the travelled portion of the road.
A passerby and Milford Police Chief Vernon Flack, who happened to be travelling through the area at the time, pulled the one near the courthouse off the road to a vacant parking area.
The Spirit Lake Fire Department extinguished both mattresses in a matter of minutes.
Fire Chief Wally Jorgenson says it appears someone in the truck that was hauling the mattresses was smoking and tossed a hot cigarette butt out a window. He says the wind apparently caught it and blew it into the back of the truck, starting the mattresses on fire.
No injuries were reported.
The incident took place around 2:45 p.m.
