HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Southbound traffic on Interstate 75 ground to a halt Thursday night after a commercial vehicle burst into flames, forcing a complete closure of the highway in Hillsborough County.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) reported that troopers responded to the scene near Milepost 244 around 7:40 p.m. Upon arrival, emergency teams found the vehicle heavily involved in fire.
The blaze was significant enough to require the total shutdown of all southbound lanes while crews worked to manage the scene.
Firefighters engaged in an extensive effort to battle the flames, eventually bringing the situation under control. Preliminary investigations by the FHP suggest the fire was likely sparked by a mechanical issue within the vehicle.
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Despite the severity of the fire and the resulting traffic gridlock, troopers confirmed that no injuries were reported.
Crews remained on site for several hours to extinguish the fire and clear the wreckage. The roadway remained closed late into the night, finally reopening to drivers just before 1:00 a.m. Friday.
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