Hazmat crews investigate trailer dealership fire on Airport Road in Arden

Fire crews and hazmat specialists spent the early morning hours at 14 Airport Road in Arden after a blaze broke out at Jim Campen Trailer Sales, a commercial truck and trailer dealership along one of Buncombe County’s busiest commuter routes.

The fire was reported at 4:35 a.m. Thursday, May 7, and by about 5:10 a.m. Asheville Fire Department officials said it had been confined to the exterior of the building and was under control. Firefighters at the scene said there were “some unknown chemicals in the structure,” prompting HAZMAT crews to determine what the substances were and how hazardous they might be.

The exact source of the fire and what was burning inside the business were not immediately clear. That left a narrow but important question for nearby residents, workers and anyone driving Airport Road toward Hendersonville Road: whether the incident stayed limited to the dealership site or posed a broader hazard while crews worked through the building and surrounding area.

Asheville police helped with traffic control during the response. Westbound Airport Road was partially closed for a time near Hendersonville Road, and one lane was still closed as of 8:15 a.m. Officials expected the westbound lanes to fully reopen around 10:15 a.m., and all lanes later reopened.

Jim Campen Trailer Sales describes its Arden location as a commercial truck and trailer dealership that sells utility, cargo, dump, car hauler, equipment, flatbed and gooseneck trailers, along with parts and service. The business sits at a key stretch of Airport Road that feeds traffic through south Buncombe County, so even a short disruption can ripple quickly through the morning commute.

The response underscored how fast a routine commercial fire can turn into a hazmat investigation when crews encounter unidentified materials inside a building. With the blaze contained to the exterior and traffic eventually restored, the remaining issue was the investigation into what started the fire and what, exactly, was stored inside the trailer dealership.