A chemical fire from a tractor trailer truck has a stretch of Interstate 85 near Hillsborough closed on Monday.

A release from the Town of Hillsborough provided details on the fire, which caught the attention of many residents and also closed sections of Churton Street Monday afternoon. The town said a mattress became unsecured from a traveling vehicle and landed on the interstate, before a tractor trailer drove over it. The mattress became lodged under the truck, catching fire in the cab before moving to the first trailer.

Ten total fire departments responded to the scene, according to the release, but the trailer’s contents of highly-explosive resin, paper and cloth made the fire dangerous. The release cites high-density vapor coming from the burn as a reason for the interstate’s closure to prevent further fires from beginning.

The update from the Town of Hillsborough said fire crews extinguished the burn around 1:40 p.m., with two firefighters sustaining minor injuries from removing their suits with resin still on them. The tractor trailer driver sustained no injuries.

Motorists should expect the northbound lanes of the interstate to remain closed until around 6 p.m. Monday.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation shared an update shortly after noon saying lanes in both directions have been closed due to a crash near Exit 164 to North Carolina Highway 86. The crash is listed to have occurred around 12:06 p.m.

NCDOT also provided the following detours for motorists:

Northbound motorists should use Exit 163 for I-40 East towards Raleigh. Continue on I-40 East to Exit 270 (US-15/501 North). Continue on US-15/501 North to I-85 North. Southbound motorists should use Exit 174-A (US-15/501 South) towards Chapel Hill. Continue on US-15/501 South to I-40 West. Continue on I-40 West to re-access I-85 South.

The full release from the Town of Hillsborough can be found on the town’s website.

Photo via the Town of Hillsborough.

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