Southbound I-95 reopens in Miami after truck fire snarled traffic for over an hour
Southbound I-95 lanes near Northwest 79th Street in Miami began reopening early Friday morning after a truck fire shut down traffic for more than an hour, snarling the morning commute.
All mainline southbound lanes reopened just before 7 a.m., after firefighters extinguished a tractor-trailer fire that broke out shortly before 6 a.m. Live traffic cameras showed the truck moved to the shoulder as vehicles began flowing again for the first time in about an hour and 15 minutes.
Fire crews were on scene earlier battling flames that engulfed much of the truck, including the cab, as heavy smoke drifted across the southbound lanes. The fire prompted a full closure of southbound I-95 at the 79th Street area while firefighters worked to put out the blaze.
Traffic backed up for miles during the closure, stretching north to Northwest 125th Street. At times, officials warned that smoke conditions could further impact visibility and traffic flow.
Even with lanes reopening, drivers heading south were still urged to avoid the area, with Seventh Avenue recommended as an alternate route.