Firefighters responded to the incident as 911 calls were received. The fire quickly spread from the tires to the semi-trailer and its contents causing a large volume of smoke that interrupted traffic flow in all lanes of I-90. Firefighters requested additional units from Bellevue and Seattle to assist.
Arriving on the scene within minutes, Mercer Island Firefighters, with assistance from the Bellevue Fire Department were able to extinguish the fire in several minutes. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is mechanical / tire failure but is still under investigation by WSP.