Eyre Highway: Hazardous truck fire shuts connecting route between WA and SA until Monday

A truck filled with insecticides caught fire on Sunday morning — closing the Eyre Highway near the WA border until at least Monday.

People wanting to travel into South Australia via the major route have been urged to reconsider travel after firefighters were called to the truck fire between Eucla and Yalata, around 80km east of the WA and South Australian border, around 7.30am on Sunday.

Both WA Police and SA Police have created an exclusion zone to keep the public away from dangerous smoke.

As a result of the blaze, the Eyre Highway just past the WA border has been closed in both directions.

Firefighters are at the scene, with dangerous smoke expected to billow from the vehicle well into Sunday afternoon.

Several road trains were banked up near the border as a result of the highway’s closure on Sunday.

“The road closure is likely to remain in place until approximately midday tomorrow, Monday October 14, and motorists are advised to consider alternative travel plans, and to monitor the Main Roads WA website for any road closure updates,” Goldfields-Esperance District Police said in a statement.