TACOMA, Washington — A semi-truck trailer loaded with bananas caught fire on northbound Interstate 5 near Tacoma early Friday, October 30, blocking three lanes at the height of the morning commute and backing traffic up for miles, according to the Washington State Patrol and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

Source: The News Tribune via CrashDaily

The fire was reported at about 6 a.m. near the north end of the Puyallup River Bridge, close to Port of Tacoma Road in Fife. Washington State Patrol Trooper Juan Martinez first posted about the commercial vehicle fire at 6:18 a.m. and later confirmed the trailer was carrying bananas. Photos from the scene showed flames engulfing the trailer as firefighters doused it with hoses. The left lane and HOV lane remained open while the three right lanes were blocked, and traffic backed up to eastbound State Route 16.

The driver was not injured and was able to disconnect the trailer from the truck cab, Martinez told The News Tribune. The exact cause is unknown, but investigators believe a malfunction in the trailer's brakes sparked the fire. WSDOT said firefighters had the fire extinguished by 7 a.m., and the blocked lanes reopened before 8 a.m., though cleanup continued for hours afterwards.

Source: 102.7 KORD (WSDOT / Washington State Patrol)

Dump trucks haul away a load of scorched bananas

Cleanup became a job of its own. 'Crews have the damaged trailer loaded up and are working on moving the remaining bananas into the construction zone,' Martinez said in an 11:30 a.m. update. 'Dump trucks are on scene to load everything up and get it out of there.' The fire happened on or near a work zone for the City of Fife's Port of Tacoma Road project, so the city's construction contractor helped with the cleanup, WSDOT spokesperson Angela Cochran said. The Tacoma Fire Department responded and stayed on scene to make sure the fire did not spread to the rear of the truck, department spokesperson Chelsea Shepherd said.

It was a rough morning on Puget Sound freeways more broadly: a separate semi rollover just after midnight closed all westbound lanes of Interstate 90 near Interstate 5 in Seattle, with traffic detoured until all lanes reopened by 5:15 a.m. No injuries were reported in that crash either, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Why truckers are paying attention

I-5 through Tacoma is one of the West Coast's busiest freight corridors, carrying port traffic from the Port of Tacoma and long-haul trucks between Seattle, Portland and California — a route driven daily by many Punjabi truckers based in Washington and the Central Valley. Brake-related trailer fires are a known risk on long grades and in stop-and-go traffic: overheated brakes can ignite tires and cargo before a driver sees smoke, which is why troopers and safety inspectors stress pre-trip brake checks, feeling for heat at stops, and pulling well clear of traffic lanes at the first sign of smoke — exactly what this driver did, disconnecting the burning trailer and escaping unhurt.

For drivers heading through Tacoma this weekend, the separate Revive I-5 work in Seattle — a full northbound I-5 closure through the city from late Friday night to early Monday morning — means the corridor stays slow even after the Tacoma cleanup. Checking WSDOT's live updates before setting out remains the safest plan.