A replacement fire truck bound for Manassas on Thursday night caught fire, leaving the city without a ladder truck.


The truck was being driven to the city by two Manassas firefighters from the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, after the city's only ladder truck was set to be placed out of service for maintenance.


OWL Volunteer Fire and Rescue agreed to loan one of their ladder trucks to Manassas. OWL is in the process of outfitting a new $900,000 ladder truck for service, said OWL spokesman Jim McAllister.


A Manassas firefighter was behind the wheel of the truck while another followed in a fire and rescue chief's SUV on Prince William Parkway about 7 p.m.


When the truck approached Hoadly Road, the firefighter in the chief's vehicle noticed a small amount of smoke coming from the truck.


The firefighter radioed the driver of the fire truck about the smoke, but the firefighter decided to press on, said McAllister.


By the time the two vehicles got about half a mile west of Hoadly Road, the 17-year-old ladder truck began billowing black smoke. The driver pulled the truck to the side of the road and got out.


Flames burst from the cargo area of the truck behind the driver, said McAllister.


Lt. Danny Dutch with Dale City Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department was one of the first on the scene and helped extinguish the blaze.


"The call came out as a car fire," he said "We never expected to see something like this, we just couldn't believe it."


No one was hurt in the fire, but Prince William Parkway was closed for more than an hour. Crews worked to sop up both diesel fuel and motor oil that leaked from the disabled truck.


"I expect the truck to be a total loss," said McAllister. The fire-damaged truck is valued at $375,000.