(La Porte County, IN) - Travel is back to normal on the Indiana Toll Road after a semi-truck caught fire at about 4:30 this morning just west of Michigan City.

 

Upon arrival, Coolspring Township Fire Chief Mick Pawlik said the truck was on the shoulder of the westbound lanes and engulfed in flames. Two people in the cab got out before fire consumed the tractor and trailer, which was empty.

 

Pawlik said the diesel fuel tanks were full and allowed to burn so none of the fuel would leak onto the ground.

 

“We kept them under control and let it burn off so we didn’t have a Haz-Mat situation out there,” Pawlik said.

Pawlik said the fire would have been much more challenging had cargo been in the trailer.

 

Westbound traffic started moving again before six o’clock this morning. The cause is unknown, but semi-fires are often caused by brakes locking up and becoming hot enough from the friction to start a fire.