18-wheeler catches fire on Interstate 59 Friday morning, no injuries reported

Published 2:22 pm Friday, July 2, 2021

Friday morning at about 7:30, emergency personnel were called out to Interstate 59 in Pearl River County because a tractor trailer caught fire.

Pearl River County Emergency Management Director Danny Manley said the incident occurred when the tractor of a 18-wheeler caught fire in the south bound lane of Interstate 59 near mile marker 31. That fire spread to the trailer, burning the contents inside, which Manley said was 50 pound bags of corn starch. The only hazardous material involved in the incident was the diesel that spilled onto the ground. Clean up crews are still working the scene as of 2 p.m.

Traffic was blocked on both the north and south bound lanes until about 8:10 a.m. Traffic was flowing after that, but one lane of the south bound lanes remained closed that afternoon.

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Manley said the cleanup should take about another hour as of 2 p.m.

No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.

Responding agencies included MDEQ, MHP, Pearl River County Emergency Management, North Central Volunteer Fire Department, Northeast Volunteer Fire Department, Poplarville Fire Department and MDOT.