Semi-Truck Destroyed By Fire Bottlenecks Traffic On I-90 Near Cle Elum

Traffic is returning to normal on Interstate-90 (I-90) near Cle Elum following an overnight vehicle fire.

The Washington State Patrol says the semi-truck was traveling in the westbound lanes of I-90 when it became disabled and pulled over at around midnight.

Shortly after stopping on the shoulder of the freeway, the truck suddenly burst into flames and forced authorities to close several miles of the right lane of westbound I-90 between Cle Elum and Ellensburg.

Trooper Jeremy Weber says emergency crews arrived at the scene to find the truck fully engulfed in flames, but the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

"At this point we don't know why or how the truck caught on fire. We just know that it had been disabled at milepost 87, which is about two miles east of Cle Elum."

The fire completely destroyed both the cab and the trailer of the semi, which Weber says was hauling a load of frozen food.

The incident bottlenecked traffic on the interstate for over 10 hours, until the right lane was finally re-opened late this morning.

No injuries were reported and no other vehicles were involved in the fire.