Semi wrecks, catches fire on Interstate 5 near Tacoma, blocking traffic

A tractor-trailer wrecked Tuesday afternoon on northbound Interstate 5 near Tacoma and caught fire, according to transportation officials. All but one lane of the freeway was blocked, causing traffic delays.

The incident was reported at about 2:22 p.m. near Port of Tacoma Road, the Washington State Department of Transportation said on Twitter. The department’s travel map showed stop-and-go traffic extending past the Interstate 705 interchange near downtown.

It’s unclear how the incident occurred or whether anyone was injured. Fife Police Department, the Washington State Patrol and Tacoma Fire Department responded, according to police.

Video shared by WSDOT on Twitter showed firefighters dousing the truck while smoke poured into the sky.

This story was originally published March 21, 2023 at 3:02 PM.

Peter Talbot

The News Tribune

Peter Talbot is a criminal justice reporter for The News Tribune. He started with the newspaper in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C. He also interned for the Oregonian and the Tampa Bay Times. Support my work with a digital subscription