Several cars on a car hauler tractor trailer lit on fire, leading to lane closures across I-94 and severe delays

Several cars on a car-hauling tractor trailer heading north on I-94 caught fire Tuesday, closing all northbound lanes of I-94 for more than two hours.

The truck parked on the right shoulder of I-94 at the Kraut Road overpass near Mount Pleasant. Police closed all northbound lanes in response to the fire, and once firefighters arrived, police closed southbound lanes.

The closures lasted more than two hours, and drivers were routed onto the median shoulder at the scene. 

Once the fire was extinguished, police reopened all southbound lanes and one northbound lane. By 5:30 p.m., the entire interstate had been reopened, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Traffic had been backed up severely in both directions, at its worst approaching 5 miles in the northbound lanes and 7 miles in the southbound lanes.

Police believe a mechanical problem in one of the vehicles on the hauler caused the fire, which then spread to several other cars. The fire destroyed six cars, according to the Racine County Sheriff's Office.