Big rig catches fire along I-8 near Wellton

WELLTON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A semi-truck caught on fire Tuesday, slowing down interstate traffic.

The truck was heading east on Interstate 8 (I-8), a mile from Wellton, when the fire started. KYMA spoke to the driver, who said one of the rear trailer tires ignited and spread quickly.

According to the Wellton Fire Department's (WFD) Facebook post, they responded to the scene before 4:00 p.m., and upon arrival, they found "heavy fire involvement and began immediate suppression efforts."

WFD says, "Due to the intensity of the fire, additional resources were dispatched" as "fire crews worked to contain the blaze until the department's Ladder unit arrived on scene." Once the Ladder unit arrived, WFD says crews put out the fire.

One lane on I-8 was closed due to the blaze.

WFD said the trailer was carrying loads of tomatoes, and said fire crews stayed on scene to help until the Arizona Department of Transportation arrived and removed of burned boxes from the trailer.

While there were no injuries reported, the actual cause of the fire is still under investigation.