Two semis burn in Belleville parking lot

Two semi trucks parked in an empty Belleville parking lot were damaged by fire early Monday.

Fire Chief Tom Pour said firefighters were dispatched to the Kmart parking lot at 7230 Westfield Plaza Drive at 1:38 a.m. for a report of a fire.

When firefighters arrived, Pour said one of the trucks was engulfed by fire and the other was smoking. He said the trucks were parked about 30 feet from each other and away from any other cars or structures.

The trucks’ drivers both live near the parking lot that they told firefighters they’d been using for years. They told firefighters there was no reason either truck would catch fire on its own.

“The fact that there was two separate instances within a few feet of one another, that leads to the suspicion of a set fire,” Pour said.

Only the trucks were damaged, Pour said. The trailers — one full and one empty — were not damaged.

Samples taken from the scene were sent to a crime lab where they will be tested, Pour said.

This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Two semis burn in Belleville parking lot."