Tanker Truck Fire Causes Traffic Delay On I-85

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - A tanker truck fire has been extinguished and traffic is returning to normal after the truck caught fire Thursday morning on I-85 northbound, north of Boggs Road Overpass in Lawrenceville, according to the Gwinnett Fire Department.

Another tanker truck had to be brought to the scene, where fuel was offloaded to an empty tanker truck. A wrecker removed the disabled tanker truck.

Firefighters were called to the scene at approximately 3 a.m. after motorists alerted the truck driver and called 911. The driver stopped the truck on the interstate and attempted to douse the flames with a portable extinguisher.

Firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the rear tandems on a loaded gasoline/diesel tanker truck. Crews quickly deployed an attack hose line and extinguished the fire. The blaze is believed to be mechanical in nature and was sparked by the brake system and a blown tire. The fire scorched the rear of the tanker, but did not penetrate the fuel-cargo area. There was no fuel leak from the tanker and no immediate hazardous materials threat. The driver of the truck notified a cleanup company and a wrecker service to offload the fuel and remove the truck from the middle of the roadway. The empty tanker for the offloading of fuel arrived at 5 a.m.

Gwinnett County Police responded to the scene and immediately closed the northbound lanes of I-85. Traffic was diverted to the access lanes and continues to flow at a slowed pace. A State DOT HERO unit and the Georgia State Patrol also responded to the scene for mitigation and traffic control.

Equipment at the scene included: one engine, one ladder truck, one water tender, one squad and one battalion chief.

Photos courtesy Gwinnett County Fire Department