SUV Fire On I-95 Slows Morning Traffic: Fairfield Fire Department

FAIRFIELD, CT — An SUV fire early Wednesday morning slowed traffic on Interstate 95, according to a news release from the Fairfield Fire Department.

Traffic was affected for about half an hour as firefighters responded to the blaze at 6:20 a.m. on the southbound side of the interstate just before Exit 23, the news release said. The Volvo SUV was in the right breakdown lane and was fully involved when firefighters arrived, but was quickly extinguished, according to the news release.

The owner of the SUV said the "check engine" light had gone on and immediately after that, he noticed fire in the engine compartment, the news release said. A University of Connecticut police officer on his way to work at the university's Stamford campus helped the driver remove his personal belongings from the vehicle and wait for firefighters to arrive. The news release did not reference any injuries.

"Our firefighters did a great job of quickly and safely extinguishing this fire," Assistant Chief George Gomola said in the news release. "I-95 is the most dangerous place we operate. We appreciate the assistance from UCONN’s finest in keeping the operator safe until we arrived on scene."