The recent loss of a DPW vehicle in early December will cause an unexpected expense for Francestown, but most of the cost of a new truck will be covered by insurance and the town has funds to cover the rest, according to Francestown Town Administrator Jamie Pike. 

Rick Wood of the Francestown DPW was driving the one-ton Dodge truck when it burst into flames early in the morning of Dec. 4. The vehicle, a sand and plow truck, was purchased by the town in April and went into service in June. It had fewer than 5,000 miles on it. 

 “I have never seen a truck burn like this. The windshield melted and poured down all over the dash,” Pike said at a recent joint meeting of the Select Board and the Budget Committee.

Pike said the exact cause of the fire was unknown. 

“All we know it was some kind of electrical problem, which we have reported to our insurance company, and it was a total loss. Fortunately, the driver was able to get out safely,” Pike said. 

Pike said the insurance company, Primex, would reimburse the town for about $100,000 for the cash value of the truck, but that the town would need to come up with the remaining $65,000 to $75,000 to replace the vehicle.

“Fortunately, we do have that money in our budget so are able to cover the difference,” Pike said. 

The town paid $111,000 for the truck last spring. 

“It’s a terrible thing. We are just fortunate we are in a position to deal with it,” said Select Board Chair Scot Heath.