Vehicle fires block metro Atlanta interstates for hours
Vehicle fires shut down interstates in Fulton and Clayton counties for hours overnight.
I-285 East near Glenridge Drive in north Fulton County was blocked by a FedEx truck that caught fire about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported.
RED ALERT Fulton Co.: Vehicle fire...I-285/eb (Inner loop) at Glenridge Dr(Exit 26), all lanes blocked. Delays. https://t.co/oChLshdbT4 #ATLTraffic pic.twitter.com/0XVApHfgOT
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) March 13, 2019
Around the same time, I-675 South at Macon Highway in Clayton County was closed due to a vehicle fire.
RED ALERT Clayton Co.: Vehicle fire...I-675/sb at US42/23(Exit 2), all lanes blocked. Use US 23 or I-75 as alternates. https://t.co/oChLshdbT4 #ATLTraffic pic.twitter.com/kTtyMmjSrF
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) March 13, 2019
Northbound lanes were closed a short time later.
**UPDATE**RED ALERT Clayton Co.: Vehicle fire...I-675/sb at US42/23(Exit 2), all lanes blocked. I-675/nb is also shutdown. Use US 23 or I-75 as alternates. https://t.co/2hvjWkI3bV #ATLTraffic pic.twitter.com/tONOyVAvVf
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) March 13, 2019
“There was a tractor-trailer fire in the southbound side of I-675,” Clayton County police spokeswoman Officer Marcena Davis told AJC.com. “A driver in the northbound lanes of I-675 decided to film the burning tractor-trailer and caused a 3-car accident in the northbound lanes. The driver of that accident was arrested later that night.”
The driver’s name and the charges against the person were not released.
It’s unknown if anyone was hurt.
No one was injured in the vehicle fire in north Fulton, Sandy Springs fire spokesman Craig Miceli said.
“The driver reported running over a mattress which caught fire under the vehicle,” he said.
Eastbound lanes of I-285 did not reopen until just before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Traffic Center.
**UPDATE** GREAT NEWS in Fulton Co.: Tractor trailer fire clean-up CLEARED...I-285/eb (Inner loop) at Glenridge Dr(Exit 26), all lanes are now back open. Delays remain.https://t.co/2hvjWkI3bV #ATLTraffic pic.twitter.com/mXCTKDRKyp
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) March 13, 2019
Traffic did not start flowing again on I-675 until nearly 12:50 a.m.
**UPDATE** All lanes are now open, delays remain. Use US 42/23 or I-75 as alternates. https://t.co/oChLshdbT4 #ATLtraffic https://t.co/VSNXcEqFWk
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) March 13, 2019
At one point, standstill traffic spanned at least a mile on both interstates, the Traffic Center reported.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
