OCALA, Fla. — Flames engulfed a tractor-trailer carrying bread Wednesday evening on Interstate 75, Ocala Fire Rescue said.
Firefighters said they were called shortly before 7:45 p.m. to the southbound lanes of I-75 one mile north of mile marker 354, where they discovered a burning tractor-trailer.
A fuel tank burst, spilling fuel and causing the fire to spread from the vehicle's cab to its trailer and a nearby pasture, officials said.
Firefighters said it took more than 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
The tractor-trailer's driver told firefighters that he pulled over after a passing driver notified him of the fire. He tried to put it out with an extinguisher but was unsuccessful.
"Thanks to the passerby’s alertness, a fire, which could have gone unnoticed by the truck driver, was identified and addressed," the agency said in a news release. "Because the truck driver was alerted, the necessary steps to mitigate the incident -- pulling over, exiting the vehicle and utilizing a fire extinguisher -- took place, preventing injuries and damages to other vehicles."
Marion County Fire Rescue was called to extinguish the grass fire, which was put out shortly after 10 p.m., officials said.
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