It was a rough afternoon and evening for commuters and truck drivers on I-76, south of Prewitt Reservoir on Tuesday, as a semi-truck & trailer fire shut down both directions of the interstate for several hours.
It was about 4:15pm (MDT) when CDOT and authorities were alerted of the semi fire, which quickly caused the WB side of I-76 to come to a screeching halt as the truck seemed fully engulfed in flames. As crews arrived on scene at 4:30pm, the EB side of the highway also had to be shut down due to heavy smoke causing visibility issues for motorists, as the high winds kicked up, causing the smoke to cover the general area. Big back ups for about a mile in each direction caused the highway to be closed between Hillrose and Brush basically. Detours were set up, as crews put out the blaze, as the exact cause of the fire hasn’t been released. WB traffic exited I-76 at the Atwood exit (HWY 63) for the detoured route.
There was also no word of any injuries that may have occurred.
Both directions of I-76 were closed for a couple of hours with the one lane of the EB side opening at about 8pm, with the right lane remaining blocked. WB stayed shut down until around 9:15pm. Both sides of the highway had one lane blocked well into the night. All lanes were open by Wednesday morning. As the Merino Volunteer Fire Department sent out information saying how fire crews responded to reports of a semi-truck on fire at MM107 on I-76. Upon arrival, they discovered the semi fully engulfed in flames, with a grass fire spreading north and south. The Merino Volunteer Fire Department was assisted by Hillrose Fire, Sterling Fire, Crook Fire, Division of Fire Prevention and Control Engine 3141, the Colorado State Patrol, and CDOT. Hillrose Fire initiated an attack on the grass fire, while Merino Fire and Engine 3141 focused on the semi fire.
Due to the size of the blaze, tenders were requested from Sterling Fire and Crook Fire. Interstate traffic had to be stopped in both directions for some time for the safety of the public and fire crews. It took approximately 3 hours for crews to clear the scene. They greatly appreciate the public’s patience and cooperation during that time. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.