Explosions shut down I-5 after truck hauling welding supplies catches fire 

A portion of Interstate 5 was shut down in Seattle on Thursday after a truck hauling welding supplies caught fire, causing multiple explosions. 

The incident happened on July 28th at around 1:30 p.m. between Mercer and State Route 520 in Seattle, Washington. 

According to Fox 29 Philadelphia, the truck was carrying oxygen, acetylene, propane and an argon cylinder that caught fire. The resulting explosions could be seen for 30 minutes. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but officials say they suspect a maintenance issue with the truck was the cause of the flames. 

The explosions sent a canister of oxygen flying down the interstate on fire, burned the Mercer Street exit sign, and damaged the pavement in the area. 

Residents living near I-5 at Lakeview Blvd. E were advised to close their windows to avoid getting toxic smoke exposure from the fire. The fire was extinguished by 4:30 p.m. that day. 

“We had a little bit of a concrete kind of burn and it’s called the laminating work. Just kind of a layer comes loose and so we need to put some asphalt on that as a temporary patch and then we will come back later on a scheduled evening to make a more permanent fix,” said Tom Pearce, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Transportation.