Utah-Truck fire closes I-15

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http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?sid=38662&nid=5

Photo and story:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,510040626,00.html

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Homes were also Evacuated

Homes evacuated because of truck fire on I-15

JUSTIN HILL The Daily Herald on Friday, July 18

A couple of homes alongside Interstate 15 were briefly evacuated Thursday morning after part of a tractor-trailer hauling commercial batteries and fireworks caught fire in Santaquin.

The homes were evacuated because of the smoke that was billowing from the trailer containing the batteries, Highway Patrol Sgt. David Decker said.

Highway Patrol troopers closed the southbound lanes of I-15 from about 5:30 to 8 a.m. as crews removed fireworks from another of the truck's trailers. No one was hurt.

The tractor truck was hauling three trailers -- one containing commercial batteries, another with 500 pounds of fireworks and another containing other items -- southbound when the driver noticed smoke coming from the first trailer.

He pulled over and found that the trailer containing the batteries was on fire. He then separated the burning trailer from the one filled with fireworks.

The fire was caused by spontaneous combustion after some of the batteries began leaking acid, Decker said.