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Art Burke from Ice Truck Drivers' promotional image for the series
via History Channel

What happened to Art Burke from ‘Ice Road Truckers?’

Everything he worked for went up in smoke.

There are reality shows for everyone, no matter the target audience. Some people enjoy stories about (not) gay Mormons, while others are drawn to shows about trucks, and for 11 seasons, Ice Road Truckers scratched the itch for those wanting to see the unspoken heroes of modern times: delivery truck drivers.

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Since 2007, Ice Road Truckers has shown the world the dangerous reality of truck drivers working in extreme conditions on frozen roads. These men and women faced overwhelming odds as they drove on treacherous terrain, confronting directly one of nature’s harshest challenges — complete snow. In 2013, during Season 7, Art Burke joined the team of truckers, where he stayed for its last five seasons.

When the show ended in 2017, Burke disappeared from our screens — but his absence has not been devoid of controversy.


Where is Art Burke from Ice Road Truckers now?

Art Burke driving in an episode of Ice Truck Drivers
via History Channel

Art Burke currently lives on Prince Edward Island, after serving 18 months on house arrest between 2020 and 2021. This arrest was the result of an arson sentence in 2018, to which the reality star pleaded guilty in 2020. Per CBC News, Burke had been attempting to create some sort of cannabis concentrate in his home in Yellowstone, known as “shatter,” using liquid butane — which, some of you may know, is a highly flammable substance.

This experience and formula led to a massive explosion, which ended up sending a badly injured Burke to the hospital for 12 days, with burns covering 40% of his body. This incident posed not only a danger to Burke but to all other people who might have been on the premises of the explosion — which, fortunately, was not the case. Nonetheless, the former reality star received a charge of “arson by negligence,” after the explosion caused $60,000 in damage to the building he was living in at the time.

Art Burke talking during an episode of Ice Truck Drivers
via History Channel

Earlier in 2020, Burke pleaded guilty to the charges. However, during his sentencing hearing, the truck driver arrived late, even though it was conducted via video call. This caused repercussions, including the postponement of his sentencing but ultimately, the court settled on 18 months of house arrest, despite the judge’s initial reluctance to accept such a lenient proposal from Burke’s defense team.

In a background report filed in the case, Burke briefly touched on the personal toll of the incident, stating, “In one heartbeat, everything I worked for vanished. I am going to lose all my savings for retirement.” At the time of writing, there is no further information regarding the trucker’s activity on the road, but we assume that at his big age of 70, he is probably well settled into his home.


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Author
Image of Francisca Santos
Francisca Santos
Passionate about gossip, a dedicated music enthusiast, and an unapologetic weeb, Francisca is a freelance writer at WGTG. When she's not writing, she can be found taking her dog on walks, defending BTS' honor, and re-reading 'One Piece'.