TEMPLE (July 28, 2010)–Traffic was diverted following a fiery collision early Wednesday along Texas 36 in Bell County that had traffic at a standstill.

Eastbound Texas 36 traffic was diverted around the collision to Farm-to-Market 93. Westbound traffic was diverted onto Barnhardt Road to Texas 195.

Units from Temple Police, Temple Fire and Rescue and the Bell County Sheriff’s Office responded around 4 a.m. Wednesday to the report of an 18-wheeler crash near the intersection of Texas 36 and Southeast H.K. Dodgen Loop.

Temple Police Sgt. Brad Hunt said the tractor-trailer rig was traveling westbound on Highway 36 when the driver lost control for reasons unknown.

"The 18-wheeler then struck a crash barricade in the construction zone, traveled 560 feet along a concrete retaining wall, and caught fire before coming to rest," Hunt said.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Temple Fire and Rescue spokesman Thomas Pechal told News 10 the trailer was carrying hardware type materials such as nuts, bolts, appliances, aerosol cans and propane tanks.

Firefighters had to dodge exploding canisters while also guarding a nearby home from the radiant heat from the 18-wheeler fire, Pechal said.

The fire destroyed the tractor-trailer rig but the driver, a 48-year-old male from Houston, suffered only minor burns; he was taken by ambulance to Scott and White Medical Center in Temple.

Texas Department of Transportation and a HAZMAT response team were also called to the scene following the fire.