VIDEO: Truck carrying fireworks catches fire in early morning crash
The Fourth of July nearly came early on an Illinois tollway Friday morning when a semi-truck carrying fireworks crashed, then started on fire.
ABC News in Chicago reports that the truck was passing through the western suburb of Berkeley, Ill., when the blaze occurred around 3:40 a.m. under the St. Charles Bridge.
The Chicago Fire Department sent a foam truck to the potentially explosive scene. The northbound lanes on Interstate 295 were shutdown for nearly 4-hours, causing significant traffic delays.
Schiller Park firefighters also assisted in the overnight fight by dousing the flames with 500 gallons of water. Video posted to the department’s Twitter feed shows a formidable concentration of smoke and fire jutting out from under the bridge.
Overnight call.
Bat 5, Engine 5, Engine 6, and Amb 5 went mutual aid to 294 NB to assist Berkeley with a semi truck fire loaded with fireworks. Members on engine 5 and 6 emptied their 500 gallons of water. Members were on scene for ~2 hours. @AFFI1935 pic.twitter.com/e1XOLgrRxz— Schiller Park Firefighters Local 5230 (@local5230) June 4, 2021
According to hook-and-ladder industry site The Firehouse, the flaming mess was under control by around 5 a.m. It’s unclear what cause the crash itself. The truck’s driver was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was hurt. Engineers were dispatched to examine the overpass, which may have sustained damage from the blaze.
