SALT LAKE CITY -- A semitrailer heading north on I-15 caught fire and went up in flames Thursday morning.
Utah Highway Patrol troopers said they responded to the fire on I-15 near 600 South around 2:40 a.m.
Two people were in the semi, but were able to escape safely before the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.
Fire crews said the semitrailer was carrying wooden furniture, which helped fuel the blaze.
"The fire did get into the trailer area, and given the type of cargo-- stacked, dense wood-- that created the large volumes of smoke and fire you saw, not necessarily the tractor, but both the tractor and trailer were involved," Salt Lake City Fire Capt. Tony Allred said.
Allred said crews were able to quickly surround the scene and were able to get a path directed so traffic could avoid the fire. They were able to successfully extinguish the fire, but it took five hours to completely clear the scene.
UDOT crews were at the scene using a brine spray mixture to deal with ice created by all the water on the road. Troopers opened all of I-15 in that area and the ramp to I-80 westbound just before 8 a.m.
Troopers said after talking to the driver, they learned the fire started out on one of the tires and spread from there.
