A loaded gasoline truck caught fire on I-85 in Gwinnett County, blocking northbound lanes for nearly four hours early Thursday, officials said.
Crews responded to the scene after witnesses alerted the truck driver to the fire and called 911 just before 3 a.m., Gwinnett fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said.
The driver stopped the truck on the interstate and attempted to douse the flames with a portable extinguisher, Rutledge said.
The flames, however, were coming from the rear tandems when firefighters arrived on scene.
“Crews quickly deployed an attack hose line and extinguished the fire,” Rutledge said.
Firefighters got the blaze under control just before 3:25 a.m., and crews cleared the scene just north of the Boggs Road overpass about 7 a.m.
The fire scorched the rear of the tanker, but did not make it to the fuel cargo area.
Crews transferred the fuel to an empty tanker brought to the scene.
“The blaze is believed to be mechanical in nature and was sparked by the brake system and a blown tire,” Rutledge said.
The incident didn’t lead to a fuel leak or a hazardous materials threat, he said.
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