A fire June 19 that burned six electric cars prompted the closure of both directions of Florida’s Turnpike for hours overnight due to the potential harm from smoke and flames, Martin County public safety officials said.
“Toxic air pollution is the number one hazard in an incident like this,” said Martin County Fire Rescue spokesperson Jillian Kay. “Burning plastics, wiring and insulation release many harmful chemicals, including but not limited to heavy metals and carbon monoxide.”
Florida’s Turnpike was closed until about 8:30 a.m. June 20 following the fire that started just before 11 p.m. June 19 near mile marker 120 on Florida’s Turnpike in unincorporated Martin County.
Flames destroyed six Teslas on a car hauler, which also burned in the fire, Kay said. The truck engine escaped damage because the driver was able to detach it from the trailer, she said. The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. No injuries were reported, sheriff’s officials said.
The fire’s intensity also played a role in the decision to close the Turnpike and Interstate 95, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. I-95 was closed for 30 minutes from 12:02 a.m. to 12:32 a.m., Kay said.
“Winds shifted last night and caused heavy smoke to head toward Interstate 95,” Kay said. “As a precaution, crews closed Interstate 95 to keep drivers away from toxic fumes as much as possible.”
Keith Burbank is a watchdog reporter for TCPalm, usually covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Electric-car fire shuts down Florida’s Turnpike for hours
Reporting by Keith Burbank, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Keith Burbank, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
