Tractor Trailer Carrying Eggs Catches Fire on U.S. 50 Near Monarch Pass

An eighteen-wheel tractor trailer caught fire Monday evening around 8:30 p.m. on U.S. 50 near mile marker 209, west of Maysville on Monarch Pass, prompting a highway closure that lasted approximately three hours.
Emergency crews responded after a 911 call was received by the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center. Upon arrival, they found the truck fully engulfed in flames.
The driver, Charles Metoyer, 45, of Houston, Texas, was headed eastbound toward New Mexico to deliver a load of eggs when he reportedly heard a loud pop — possibly a blown tire — and pulled the truck to the roadside, where he discovered the fire. Although he attempted to extinguish the flames with onboard fire extinguishers, the blaze quickly overtook the cab, forcing him to retreat.
According to Ark Valley Voice, no injuries were reported among the driver, bystanders, or emergency responders.
Fire crews from Chaffee County Fire, Salida Fire Department, Colorado State Patrol, and CDOT worked swiftly to contain the fire before it could spread to nearby forest areas.
As for the shipment of eggs — their condition remains unknown, though many suspect they didn’t survive the heat.
