Gwinnett County Battles Brush Fires At I-985 Near Suwanee

SUWANEE, GA — All northbound lanes of Interstate 985 are open after Gwinnett County Fire battled three separate brush fires Wednesday along a half-mile area of the roadway's right-shoulder. The exact cause of the fires is still undetermined and under investigation, officials said.

The fires, located between the I-85 split and Buford Drive, were extinguished just before 6 p.m. Wednesday. Crews initially had to close the northbound lanes of the interstate just after 4 p.m., officials said. The southbound lanes were not affected.

The fire scorched the grass and woods in all three areas near mile marker 2 and 2.5. The first two fires were considered small, while the third was the largest and measured approximately 2-3 acres. No vehicles or structures sustained damage, and no injuries were reported.

While the exact cause of the fires is still unknown, the first fire crew to arrive at the scene was told by a passerby that they saw a white pickup truck stopped on the side of the interstate around the same time that the fires erupted. The pickup truck was last seen traveling northbound from the location of the fires on I-985. Officials said a fire investigator is following up on the information.

Anyone who has information about the white pickup truck or the fires is asked to contact the Gwinnett Fire Investigations Section at 678-518-4890 or Gwinnett Police at 770-513-5700.