Fruit truck catches fire on Beltway in Silver Spring area

Blaze early Tuesday caused by ‘mechanical failure,’ fire official says

February 4, 2025 10:44 a.m.

A tractor trailer carrying imported fruit caught fire on the outer loop of the Beltway early Tuesday morning in Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) spokesperson Pete Piringer.

The incident caused three right travel lanes near Exit 29 on the highway to be blocked until about 7 a.m., according to traffic alerts posted on social media by the Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination (MATOC) Program.

Around 1:30 a.m. MCFRS firefighters responded to the outer loop of the Beltway between New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard for the report of a vehicle fire, Piringer said on social media.

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According to Piringer, the blaze was caused by a “mechanical failure” in the truck that resulted in a brake fire.

No injuries were reported.

Around 4:50 a.m. MATOC wrote on social media that three right travel lanes on the outer loop remained blocked from the overnight fire. Traffic was getting by the scene using one lane on the Beltway, causing delays.

By 7 a.m., the three travel lanes had reopened, according to a MATOC, but delays remained, beginning near Maryland Route 201.

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