Truck fire ties up traffic on I-91

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - A tractor-trailer caught fire on Interstate 91 Monday afternoon, causing lengthy delays for drivers on the commute home.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Dana Cheverette, at 3:45 p.m., two department fire engines and a tanker truck were dispatched to the breakdown lane a mile north of Exit 19 on I-91 northbound for a report that a tractor-trailer truck had caught on fire.

The source of the fire, Cheverette said, was the refrigeration unit mounted on the trailer. After realizing that something was wrong with the unit, Cheverette said the driver quickly separated the trailer from the truck, and firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze in about 15 minutes.

"Fortunately for us, the trailer was completely unloaded already so while it burned up the refrigeration unit completely, there weren't any contents to damage," Cheverette said. "We were able to put the fire out pretty rapidly."

As a result of the fire, traffic was reduced to a standstill and eventually backed up for several miles to Exit 18.

Damage was limited to the truck's refrigeration unit and it did not result in any injuries, Cheverette said. Traffic was reopened to a single lane by 4:30 p.m.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com