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A trailer loaded with fireworks erupted in flames along a Tennessee interstate Saturday night, sending pyrotechnics shooting across the roadway and forcing authorities to temporarily shut down traffic as emergency crews responded.
Video shared by the Chattanooga Fire Department shows fireworks launching into the air and exploding in multiple directions as flames engulfed the trailer on Interstate 75 northbound near the Ooltewah exit.
“Chattanooga Fire, Tri-Comm, and law enforcement enforcement responded to a vehicle fire on I-75NB past the Ooltewah exit Saturday night,” the department said in a Facebook post. “It involved fireworks that were going off in different directions, endangering drivers.”
Despite the chaotic scene, no injuries were reported.
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Video shows fireworks exploding from a burning trailer on Interstate 75 near Ooltewah, Tennessee, as firefighters work to contain the blaze. Authorities said no injuries were reported despite the dramatic interstate shutdown. (Chattanooga Fire Department)
Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department said the trailer was loaded with fireworks and that all of them became involved in the blaze, triggering explosions throughout the incident.
A trailer carrying fireworks burns along Interstate 75 near Ooltewah, Tennessee, sending smoke into the air and prompting a large emergency response. Officials said fireworks exploded during the fire, forcing temporary highway closures. (Chattanooga Fire Department)
As a precaution, authorities temporarily shut down both northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 75 while firefighters worked to extinguish the fire. Tri-Community said emergency vehicles traveled northbound in the southbound lanes and used the route to shuttle water to crews battling the flames.
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Firefighters examine the remains of a trailer loaded with fireworks after it caught fire on Interstate 75 near the Ooltewah exit in Tennessee. The blaze triggered fireworks explosions and temporarily shut down traffic in both directions. (Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department)
A Chattanooga Fire Department spokesperson told Digital the incident occurred outside the city limits and that Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department served as the lead agency, while Chattanooga crews responded under a mutual aid agreement to assist at the scene.
The spokesperson said the southbound side of the interstate reopened relatively quickly, while northbound lanes remained closed as crews monitored hot spots and later cleared the burned trailer from the roadway.
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Firefighters and emergency personnel from Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department and Chattanooga Fire Department respond to a fireworks trailer fire on Interstate 75 near Ooltewah, Tennessee. Authorities temporarily shut down portions of the interstate while crews battled the blaze and cleared the scene. (Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department)
Dramatic video from the scene shows fireworks rocketing into the night sky before exploding over the interstate as traffic sat stopped a safe distance from the blaze. Firefighters can also be seen deploying hoses while the trailer remained engulfed in flames.
Authorities have not released additional information about what caused the fire.
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One photo provided to Digital shows the blaze involved a large enclosed trailer carrying the fireworks.
