Semi-Truck Destroyed in Brookings County Cornfield Fire Near SD Highway 13

Northeast Radio SD News – Brookings County, SD - A semi-truck was declared a total loss Monday night after catching fire in a Brookings County cornfield near South Dakota Highway 13.

According to a media release from Brookings County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Sgt. Thomas Chester, emergency crews were dispatched at 9:07 p.m. Oct. 19, 2026, to 218th Street near South Dakota Highway 13 for a report of a semi on fire in a cornfield.

The Brookings County Sheriff’s Office, the Elkton Fire Department, and Elkton Ambulance responded. The Elkton Fire Department quickly extinguished the blaze and prevented it from spreading.

An on-scene investigation determined that a 1994 Peterbilt Conventional 378 caught fire in the cornfield. The driver escaped the truck without injury.

The Peterbilt was a total loss, with estimated damage of $40,000. Chester reported that the fire damaged no other items.