Traffic alert: Vehicle fire on southbound Interstate 5 blocks traffic in Tacoma
A vehicle is on fire and blocking traffic on southbound Interstate 5 near State Route 16 on Tuesday afternoon, the Washington Department of Transportation posted on X.
The fire was first reported at 4:03 p.m. The HOV lane and two left lanes are blocked. Southbound I-5 traffic was backed up into Fife about 4:30 p.m.
The cause of the fire is not known at this time, said Tacoma Fire spokesperson Chelsea Shepherd. The Tacoma Fire Department and Washington State Patrol are on the scene.
There were no injuries, Shepherd said.
Update 4:58 p.m.: The fire is out and the car was moved to the left shoulder, Shepherd said. The only lane closed is the HOV lane.
Update 5:13 p.m.: The scene is cleared, WSDOT posted on X.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 4:33 PM.
