Truck Sets Itself on Fire

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Du Quoin firefighters responded to a strange call at 8634 Old Rt. 14 in Old Du Quoin at 2:58 p.m. Wednesday. Fireman say 1993 Ford F250 truck owner Nicholas Gilliam told them his truck had been sitting in the yard since morning. He went outside to tend to his dogs when he noticed the windshield wipers going and smoke inside the cab. He opened the door, unloaded a fire extinguisher into it, but the smoke was too thick to see anything. Just then, the engine started on its own and the truck jumped into reverse. Gilliam pulled off a battery cable and got the truck shut down. His wife was already calling the fire department. As she did that, flames broke out inside the cab. Firemen arrived immediately, but the damage was already done.