A LORRY carrying potatoes was completely destroyed during a fire on the A36 at Alderbury. 

Fire crews from Salisbury, Wilton and Fordingbridge attended the incident just before midnight on Saturday. 

Salisbury Journal:

Hose reel jets were used to extinguish the blaze. 

Salisbury Journal:

Police were called to the scene and road closures were put in place. 

Alderbury resident Phil Parsons says he heard three loud explosions, the first at about midnight. He said: "I thought it was fireworks to be honest. But it was really, really loud which is when I suddenly thought that's not what it is."

He said fellow residents were looking out their windows trying to see what was going on and smoke and flames could be seen. 

The road had to be closed to allow work to be carried out by Highways. 

Phil says when driving near where the fire happened the next day he saw the burnt out remains of the lorry and that there were burnt potatoes everywhere.

He says at 4.30pm the road was still closed and the village was "jammed packed" with cars going through. 

Henry Grist, who witnessed the incident and filmed this video, said: "I was with a friend driving back from Landford when we saw the fire, and pulled over to check if the driver was okay.

"It literally must have just happened as there was no police and no queue behind the lorry, and the driver said he'd just jumped out and it went up. We then waited with him until the firemen arrived and then we left.

"The tyres were exploding like gunshots and the heat was pretty intense even from where we were stood, I was just glad the driver was okay, he seemed pretty calm about it all."