I-65 in NW Indiana reopens after massive truck fire | Video
Crews hope to reopen roadway by morning
JASPER COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) -- All lanes of Interstate 65 were shut down in northwest Indiana for a hazmat semi fire, Indiana State Police said Monday afternoon.
Traffic was being diverted at exits 230 and 240, police said. The incident happened near mile marker 232, north of State Road 10 in Jasper County, police said.
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ISP said around 1 p.m., a 47-year-old truck driver noticed there was something wrong with the brakes and pulled over to check on them.
That's when the fire broke out.
ISP Sgt. Glen Fifield captured video as he arrived on the scene.
"We believe one of the breaks was overheating and caught fire," Fifield said.
That fire then quickly spread from the truck to both sides of the interstate as the trailer's cargo was sent flying in flames.
"It was loaded with petroleum product, which we learned was cans of spray paint," Fifield said. "It almost sent a gunfire because of how often they were going off."
Northbound lanes reopened about 2 p.m., police said.
Southbound lanes in the area, near Roselawn were closed until reopening early Tuesday morning.
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Police said the surface of the roadway was damaged in the fire, but the truck driver was not injured.
ISP shared a video on X around 1:40 p.m. that showed massive flames and black smoke coming from a truck.
Photos from nearby traffic cameras showed widespread smoke in the area. The smoke could be seen for miles.
State Road 55 is currently closed south of State Road 2 for unrelated bridge construction. Detour options are State Road 2, U.S. 41 and State Road 10 or State Road 2, U.S. 231 and State Road 10.
Chopper 7 was over the scene about 4 p.m. The fire was out, and there was a large traffic backup. The charred remains of the truck could be seen on the highway.
A witness driving by captured cell phone video showing the intensity of the flames.
Bryce Dalton said he was about a quarter of a mile away when he first spotted smoke. Then, as he got closer, he heard what sounded like large explosions coming from what appeared to be canisters from the truck.
"I was just really surprised because every time I look at the fire, it somehow got bigger, and to see the debris shooting up through the air on fire. It almost looked like fireworks. So, it was quite the spectacle. Just about everyone had gotten out of their cars and see what was going on," Dalton said.
The fire burned through the asphalt on the road and spread to trees on both sides of the roadway, leaving behind a gravel-like graveyard of thousands of spray paint cans and an hours-long clean up.
Luckily, no one was hurt.
But the challenge ahead will be replacing and repaving the burned portion of the interstate.
