HUNTINGDON, Tenn. β What was supposed to be a great day of serving patrons turned into a nightmare for Tim and Tiffany McPherson when their food truck, TNT Tacos, caught fire late Thursday morning, June 4.
Dispatchers paged Huntingdon Fire Department to Tractor Supply Co. on East Main St. just after 10:30 a.m. for a call about a trailer on fire in the parking lot.
When firefighters arrived, the TNT Tacos food truck was totally engulfed in flames. They worked quickly to put the fire out.
While firefighters battled the blaze, Baptist EMS tended to the McPhersons, who had both suffered bad burn injuries. Eyewitnesses recalled seeing the couple escape the truck while it was still ablaze.
Responders ordered the Tractor Supply parking lot cleared for two medical helicopters, which transported the McPhersons to Skyline Medical Center in Nashville. Both suffered second and third degree burns.
According to Tiffany’s father, the cause is presumed to be a propane leak that ignited.
In addition to Huntingdon Fire Department, Carroll County Fire, Carroll County EMA, Carroll County Sheriffβs Office, Baptist EMS, and Air Evac Lifeteam also responded.
The McPhersons are both scheduled for surgery Friday and are expected to remain hospitalized for several months.
Their daughter, Jada, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the family cover medical bills and other expenses while Tim and Tiffany recover. The link can be found here: GoFundMe Page for Tim and Tiffany McPherson.
I own a food trailer built by FUD Trailers and have experienced multiple safety concerns that I have documented with photographs.
These issues include:
β’ A propane line that appears to have been improperly installed and later melted.
β’ A propane leak discovered shortly after delivery.
β’ A screw driven into a gas line during construction.
β’ A screw driven into an electrical line.
β’ Electrical outlets and connections that were not properly tightened, causing arcing concerns.
I am not claiming these issues caused the TNT Tacos fire. However, after reading about the explosion, I believe there may be a legitimate public-safety concern that warrants investigation.
I have photographs, repair documentation, and can provide additional details if your newsroom would like to review them.
UPDATE
Tim and I are survivors and we are in the process of surviving. We will always be forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support. οΏΌThank you guys from the bottom of our hearts. As you know we had an explosion while inside getting ready for the day. I will share more later, I want to take a moment to recognise my husband who was the first person in the line of many to save my life.From οΏΌ the force of the explosion I was blown back against the far wall where our sinks are and I was trapped. He was blown towards the door Tim couldβve easily ran out but chose to come back and get me and drag me out having to go through the explosion that was hell before οΏΌbusting us both through the door and saving our lifeβs.As of now we have both undergone our first surgery and everything is going as expected. We need to express our heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who has helped us. A huge shout out to the Huntingdon EMS,Firefighters, Police officers, customers and every single person who helped us to survive this ordeal. Weβve chosen to wait to activate new cell phones until we heal and progress with our recovery.With the help of God all of you guys and these fantastic nurses doctors and surgeons
οΏΌwe are gonna be okay. Itβs just gonna take some time. Iβll try to have our family update you guys so you know how we are doing. God bless you all and thank you so very much for all the love. β€οΈ Love Tim & Tiffany
See go fund me under Jada Pastrana
UPDATE
Tim and I are survivors and we are in the process of surviving. We will always be forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support. οΏΌThank you guys from the bottom of our hearts. As you know we had an explosion while inside getting ready for the day. I will share more later, I want to take a moment to recognise my husband who was the first person in the line of many to save my life.From οΏΌ the force of the explosion I was blown back against the far wall where our sinks are and I was trapped. He was blown towards the door Tim couldβve easily ran out but chose to come back and get me and drag me out having to go through the explosion that was hell before οΏΌbusting us both through the door and saving our lifeβs.As of now we have both undergone our first surgery and everything is going as expected. We need to express our heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who has helped us. A huge shout out to the Huntingdon EMS,Firefighters, Police officers, customers and every single person who helped us to survive this ordeal. Weβve chosen to wait to activate new cell phones until we heal and progress with our recovery.With the help of God all of you guys and these fantastic nurses doctors and surgeons
οΏΌwe are gonna be okay. Itβs just gonna take some time. Iβll try to have our family update you guys so you know how we are doing. God bless you all and thank you so very much for all the love. β€οΈ Love Tim & Tiffany
See go fund me under Jada Pastrana