18-wheeler blaze on Sawgrass Expressway appears to have been caused by garbage

Flames coming from an 18-wheeler on the Sawgrass Expressway appear to have originated from garbage in the trailer.

The semi truck driver pulled over on the Sawgrass Expressway near University Drive and called 911 just after 11 a.m. on Monday, July 13, to report that part of the truck was on fire.

The 18-wheeler was transporting garbage in a large, open-top trailer when something in the trailer caught on fire, according to the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department.

Firefighters responded and knocked down the flames, and the driver was able to head to a Pembroke Pines landfill, with fire rescue following, to dump the rest of the trash load.

Firefighters put water on the rest of the garbage and fully extinguished the blaze, but it’s not clear what first caught fire. No injuries were reported.

The fire shut down all northbound lanes on the Sawgrass Expressway for about two and a half hours.