Truck fire snarls traffic, but no injuries reported

This truck caught fire on Interstate 91 in Northampton last Friday afternoon, backing up traffic along the f. There were no injuries, the Fire Department said on its Facebook page. NORTHAMPTON FIRE FACEBOOK

This truck caught fire on Interstate 91 in Northampton last Friday afternoon, backing up traffic along the freeway and into Northampton. There were no injuries, the Fire Department said on its Facebook page. NORTHAMPTON FIRE DEPARTMENT/FACEBOOK

The inside of a truck that caught fire on Interstate 91 in Northampton last Friday afternoon, backing up traffic along the freeway and into Northampton. There were no injuries, the Fire Department said on its Facebook page. NORTHAMPTON FIRE DEPARTMENT/FACEBOOK

By Staff Report

Published: 03-17-2025 2:55 PM

NORTHAMPTON — Northampton firefighters put out a fully involved Toyota pickup truck on Interstate 91 Friday afternoon, a fire that caused significant traffic backups on the highway as spring break began at the local colleges and University of Massachusetts.

“It was pretty cut and dry,” Assistant Fire Chief Matt Lemberg said on Monday. “It was a truck fire that started in the engine compartment.”

Because of the extensive damage, an exact cause can’t be pinpointed. But Lemberg said automobile fires are not common in the city.

A crew on Engine 2 was able to put the fire out with one tank of water, stretching a line to the scene, before the destroyed vehicle was towed away.

No one in the vehicle or at the scene was injured.