(CNN) — A section of Interstate Highway 95 in Philadelphia collapsed Sunday morning in an incident that was eerily reminiscent of the fire and collapse of I-85 in Atlanta several years ago.

The incident occurred after a tanker truck caught fire underneath the highway, officials in Philadelphia said.

"We did have a collapse of 95 on the northbound side, and the southbound side is compromised by heavy fire," Derek Bowmer, battalion chief for the Philadelphia Fire Department, said during a news conference Sunday morning. "It looked like we had a lot of heat and heavy fire underneath the underpass."

Firefighters are still battling the blaze, Bowmer said.

Explosions around the highway collapse were caused by "runoff of maybe some fuel or gas lines that could have been compromised by the accident," said Bowmer.

MORE: I-95 Philadelphia: Large vehicle fire causes roadway collapse near Cottman Ave. exit

"We have fire coming out of those manholes," Bowmer said.

Photos and videos from the scene show huge plumes of smoke billowing from the interstate.

The mayor's office told CNN a large tanker truck fire caused the collapse. The highway is closed in both directions around the area and the fire is under control, according to Sarah Peterson, the office's communications director.

Dominick Mireles, director of Philadelphia's Office of Emergency Management, said officials would be dealing with the collapse and the fire for a long time.

"Today's going to be a long day. And obviously with 95 northbound gone, and southbound questionable, it's going to be even longer than that," Mireles said. "The roadway's gone."

Tumar Alexander, managing director for the City of Philadelphia, said the incident will "be a significant impact to this community for a while."

"95 will be impacted for a long time," Alexander said during the news conference.

The fire is under investigation by the fire marshal and other partners, Bowmer added during the news conference.

The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management urged travelers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes in a Sunday morning tweet.

The US Coast Guard is observing for possible water pollution after the incident.

"A station Philadelphia 29-foot boat was launched to the scene to observe any pollution to the waterways. They reported that there is a sheen on the water but it seems to be confined to the cove," the Coast Guard's statement read. "The substance is gasoline and the tanker has a potential to spill 8500 gallons. However, it has been reported to us that clean up efforts are mainly shore side, meaning on land."

The collapse has not affected the city's drinking water quality, according to a tweet from Philadelphia Water Department.

The 2017 Atlanta I-85 collapse  

The 2017 Atlanta collapse along I-85 occurred after a fire that burned construction materials and fiberglass tubing stored beneath a 92-foot elevated section of the roadway. 

The Atlanta incident began at 6:05 p.m. on a Thursday evening, during the height of the evening rush hour, on March 30, 2017.

As in Sunday's Philadelphia incident, no injuries or deaths were reported in the Atlanta highway collapse.

During that incident, Georgia transportation officials immediately closed and re-routed traffic around the affected portion of the interstate. 

Much of the traffic passing through Atlanta was routed around the city on I-285, while traffic that would have ordinarily taken I-85 and Georgia 400 through the area of the incident was diverted on to Georgia 13 -- which, historically, is old I-85 through the area.

The surrounding road network infrastructure was strained considerably by the incident and subsequent response, as traffic was shifted around the damaged portion of the interstate. 

Three persons were eventually arrested in connection with the fire, however, charges against the three were later dropped. An investigative report by the National Transportation Safety Board ultimately indicated that the Georgia Department of Transportation was partly responsible for conditions that led to the fire by storing materials unsafely beneath the road structure. 

Highway officials conducted an accelerated reconstruction schedule to get the roadway back up and running as soon as possible. As a result, the interstate was back up and running on May 12 -- about 43 days following the incident. 

Philadelphia city and Pennsylvania state responses

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney expressed his gratitude to first responders on social media.

"City agencies are working with our state partners to respond to the partial collapse of I-95 from a vehicle fire," the mayor wrote on Twitter. "Please avoid the area and plan for alternative routes of travel. We will continue to provide updates on this incident."

"I will always be grateful to our first responders for the dangerous, life-saving work they do to keep residents and visitors safe," he added in a subsequent tweet.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has been briefed on the collapse, according to a Twitter thread Sunday.

"I was just briefed by @PEMAHQ, @PennDOTNews, and @PAStatePolice on the I-95 fire and collapse in Philadelphia. State Police and PEMA are on the scene assisting local first responders and @PennDOTSec and his team are en route to assess the situation and address traffic needs," said the governor on his verified Twitter account.

"@LTGDavis and I are closely coordinating with partners in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and the federal government and we will share more information as we have it. For now, please avoid the area and follow the direction of the first responders on the scene."

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the US Department of Transportation is offering assistance to Pennsylvania after the collapse.

"Closely monitoring the fire and collapse on I-95 in Pennsylvania," Buttigieg wrote on Twitter. "I've been in touch with FHWA and spoke with Gov. Shapiro to offer any assistance that USDOT can provide to help with recovery and reconstruction."

Officials have not reported on any injuries.

Interstate 95 runs north to south from the Canadian border in Maine to Miami, Florida.