ANN ARBOR, MI – A helmet camera that’s part of a new Ann Arbor Fire Department training program recorded firefighters extinguishing a raging truck fire along I-94 on Sunday.

Firefighters were recorded at about 4 p.m. May 15, arriving at the scene of a vehicle fire reported along westbound I-94 near State Street, according to a video released by the Ann Arbor Fire Department.

A firefighter is seen approaching the driver of the vehicle to ensure everyone was safely outside the truck before asking if there is anything still inside that may be dangerous.

After ensuring there were no hazardous materials on board, crews went to work to extinguish the blaze as it quickly consumed the truck’s cab.

As firefighters prepared to hit the truck with water, what is believed to be the vehicle’s fuel tank explodes with a loud pop and accompanying flames spreading the fire further.

Sparks flew as firefighters hosed down the truck suppressing the blaze from one side of the vehicle before moving to the other side, occasionally hosing down the grass on the side of the freeway to put out hot spots and prevent a grass fire.

Within several minutes the fire was out, leaving only the back end of the truck intact.

The cause of the fire was deemed to be a mechanical failure inside the truck’s engine compartment, Ann Arbor Fire Chief Mike Kennedy said.

The entire cab of the truck was destroyed in the fire and the truck was declared a total loss, Kennedy said.

The fire was recorded with a with a helmet mounted camera worn by a firefighter as part of a new department program launched in early May, Kennedy said.

The program, which is voluntary, involves firefighters wearing the cameras when responding to active fires to use as a training tool to better understand what went right and what went wrong during a call, Kennedy said.

“Having a video to review like how they do in football is a great training tool so we can see what we did right at a scene and what can be improved upon,” he said.

Having video available to release to the public also is a good way to showcase “how your tax dollars are being spent,” Kennedy said.

“The public rarely gets a chance to see how we do what we do, so this is a good way to educate the public as well,” Kennedy said.

Not every call will have a firefighter using a helmet camera as the department is primarily trying to focus on structure fires and significant fires where there are no perceived privacy concerns, Kennedy said.

The Pittsfield Township Fire Department and Scio Township Fire Department assisted at the scene of the truck fire in blocking traffic along I-94 for safety.

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