United States (Mississippi) - A Wayne County Fire Department tanker truck was heavily damaged in a traffic accident Tuesday while responding to a fire. Wayne County Deputy Jamey Beard with the Wayne County Sheriff's Department said the accident occurred around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday on Strengthford-Cooley Road.

"The tanker was responding to a trailer fire when the rollover occurred," Beard said. "The road was slippery."

Wayne County Fire Chief Rufus Landrum agreed, adding that the tanker was one of several vehicles responding to the fire from the Strengthford Volunteer Fire Department.

"We normally roll with three pumpers and three tankers," Landrum said. "The vehicle damaged is one of two we have for that fire department. So, we do have a spare."

Landrum said the fire department's 1996 Volvo tanker truck was heavily damaged in the accident, but no major injuries were reported.

As for the mobile home fire, Landrum said, the other firefighters were able to extinguish the fire that reportedly caused some smoke damage.

In another incident, Landrum said Wayne County volunteer firefighters also responded to a house fire on Sunday night at a house located at 140 Claiborne Jones Road, East of Waynesboro.

"It was just outside the city limits," he said. "The wood-frame house was a total loss."

Landrum said firefighters are already working to replace the damaged truck.

"We think the tank may be salvageable, but we're not sure yet," he said. "We are now looking for another chassis to put it (the tank) on. So, we definitely plan to replace the tanker."

Written by Laurel Leader-Call