A truck fire closed traffic on I-295 on Monday morning. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
A truck hauling hot patch pavement caught fire on I-295 Monday morning, forcing a busy stretch of interstate to close during the morning commute.
The commercial truck was traveling from Woburn, Massachusetts, to Bangor when it caught fire. Multiple propane tanks on board ignited, fueling the fire, according to Maine State Police.
Police say the exact cause of the fire is unknown, but the truck recently underwent maintenance to the propane heating system and it is possible the system malfunctioned.
A truck fire closed I-295 for several hours this morning (No injuries, 295 is open again in that area):https://t.co/Ke9bNRyCMM pic.twitter.com/h5jP8MdSke
— Maine State Police (@MEStatePolice) April 25, 2022
The fire near mile marker 5 in South Portland was reported to state police at 9:20 a.m. Both northbound and southbound lanes were closed to traffic while the South Portland Fire Department dealt with the fire.
The road was shut down for about three hours, according to state police. The closure caused long traffic backups in the area.
No one was injured.
Police have not released the name of the name of the driver or the company that owns the truck.
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