Truck catches fire on I-95 in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (WTNH) --  All three lanes of I-95 in Fairfield are back open after a tractor trailer carrying paper towels somehow caught fire.  

It happened in the northbound lanes between Exits 23 and 24 around around 3:00 a.m.

The truck's driver told authorities he pulled over when he saw sparks coming from the rear of the truck. The driver tried to extinguish the flames, but couldn't stop them from spreading to the cargo.

• Photos: Truck fire on I-95

The fire was hot enough to melt the truck's tires.

Traffic was limited to only one lane heading northbound while firefighters battled the flames. All three lanes were back open around 9:30 a.m.

Exit 23 remains closed while crews are on the scene.

The trailer and all it's contents were lost in the fire.

One firefighter was sent to the hospital to be evaluated for heat-related stress, but was later released. The truck's driver was not injured.

Officials say the truck is owned by Werner Enterprises in Omaha Nebraska and was traveling from Allentown, Pennsylvania.

"This was a deep seated fire that could not be easily extinguished and required interagency cooperation between the State Police, DOT and the private towing contractor to quickly control and mitigate. We were very fortunate that hazardous chemicals were not involved and there were no other injuries," said Assistant Chief Scott Bisson.

The cause of the fire has been ruled is accidental due to an unspecified equipment malfunction.