Semi Brake Fire Sparks Inferno On I-65 Monday
Monday afternoon at approximately 1:00 PM, Indiana State Troopers responded to a vehicle fire on I-65 southbound lanes at the 231 mile-marker, which is one mile north of the exit to Demotte/Roselawn (exit 230).
Preliminary investigation shows that a 2021 Volvo, operated by Swift Transportation, was southbound on I-65 when the driver pulled over due to a mechanical problem with the vehicle. When the vehicle stopped, the driver noticed the brakes on one side of the tractor were glowing red and started on fire. The driver attempted to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher from her cab; however, the fire had already spread to the vehicle. The fire quickly spread to the trailer and consumed the cab and trailer. The cargo, paint cans, ignited and caused an intense fire that quickly spread to the adjacent trees and even caught the asphalt roadway surface on fire. The driver of the semi was not injured.
Keener Twp Fire, Lowell Fire, Wheatfield Fire, Hebron Fire, Rensselaer Fire and Marion Township Fire were all dispatched to assist with containing the scene. Lake County HazMat and Newton County EMA also responded to the scene. Response Management Services (RMS) also responded to the scene to remove the contaminated materials and dirt.
At one point, north and southbound lanes were all closed due to the smoke and dangerous situation and southbound traffic was diverted off the interstate at S.R. 2 (exit 240). Once the fire was extinguished, northbound lanes were reopened; however, southbound lanes remained closed. One southbound lane was eventually able to be opened and traffic that had been caught in the backup was alleviated. Once that traffic cleared the scene, the southbound lanes were again closed and remain closed.
As of 10 PM, Monday, the scene has been cleared of the burned vehicle and all debris. INDOT has contacted Reith-Riley to replace a large section of asphalt that had irreparable damage from the fire. That repair is anticipated to be completed at approximately 4:00 AM on Tuesday, April 22nd. Southbound traffic remains diverted at S.R. 2.
