Wagga police duty officer, Acting Inspector David Abercrombie, said the driver of the southbound heavy vehicle - which was carrying goats - noticed one of his wheels had caught fire near Wallacetown about 4.25am.

"The driver moved the vehicle off the road and got out of the truck," Inspector Abercrombie said.

The fire caused extensive damage to both the truck and its trailer and a number of goats were killed as a result.

The incident caused minor delays to motorists, with one lane closed to allow a salvage operation to take place.

Traffic moved past the scene - near Shepherds Siding Road - under a contra-flow system, which was in place until about 9.30am.

Inspector Abercrombie said investigations into the cause of the fire were continuing, however early indications suggested it was the result of "some kind of mechanical fault".