A Walmart in Hernando County Florida had to be evacuated after an explosion in the parking lot. The blast destroyed several semi trucks and empty trailers. Nobody was injured, but the store had to be closed for the morning.
Explosion at Florida Walmart
Early bird shoppers at the Brooksville Walmart were in for a surprise on Black Friday. It was just after 5:00 a.m. when an explosion rocked the parking lot. A Hernando County Sheriff’s deputy happened to be stationed at the Walmart parking lot at 13300 Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville when he heard the explosion come from the west end of the store. He immediately went to investigate and found a tractor trailer on fire.
The two tractor trailers on each side were also charred by the fire. The Sheriff’s deputy quickly checked the surrounding trucks and helped one driver retreat to safety. According to police reports, the three tractor trailers were parked very close to the Walmart building, so the store was evacuated as a safety precaution.
Officials say there were no injuries as a result of the explosion but two semi trucks and two empty trailers were totaled by the blaze. One truck driver told police he had just pulled into the loading dock, walked inside and heard a loud explosion.
It appears the blast originated from the engine of one of the tractor trailers. The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation. The fire was quickly extinguished and the Walmart was back open by 12:30 p.m. Thankfully, there were no injuries due to the blast.
Walmart takes great pride in its well maintained fleet of trucks and their professional team of drivers. All Walmart drivers require an interstate Class A commercial driver’s license with hazmat endorsement.
A minimum of 30 months of experience working in a full-time Class A tractor trailer driving position in the last 3 years. No more than two 2 moving violations while operating a personal or commercial motor vehicle in the last three 3 years.
No serious traffic violations while operating a commercial motor vehicle in the last three 3 years. No DUI, DWI, OUI, or reckless driving involving alcohol/drugs convictions within the last ten 10 years.
No preventable accidents while operating a commercial motor vehicle in the last three 3 years. Walmart’s semi trucks are replaced with new ones at 525,000 miles. Good pay, good benefits and your truck probably wont blow up.
