A contractor's truck was destroyed by fire late Friday afternoon in Tamaqua.

Employees of Lehigh Anthracite Coal Company first noticed smoke coming from the back of the Tamaqua Plaza, previously known as Jamesway Plaza, and rushed over to see a Dodge Ram truck on fire. No one was in the truck during the fire and no injuries were reported.Despite attempts by employees to extinguish the fire, the truck was destroyed. Employees backed away after seeing parts of the engine explode under the hood.The truck and its trailer belonged to a local contractor performing maintenance to the grounds.Firefighters with the American Hose and East End Fire companies responded and extinguished the blaze. Tamaqua police and fire police also responded.The owner and firefighters believe that a short in the battery may have caused the fire.