AUSTIN (KXAN) — A box truck caught fire Tuesday on South MoPac Expressway near Barton Creek Mall, the Austin Fire Department said. The flames spread and caused a grass fire.
AFD said the fire was under control around 2:15 p.m. but traffic was still backed up for miles and the southbound lanes of MoPac were closed before Loop 360 until around 4 p.m. Traffic was being detoured to the frontage road at the Loop 360 exit while the smoke cleared from that scene.
As of 4:30 KXAN crews still reported traffic backups in the area and on surrounding roads.
AFD said it was called to 2100 South MoPac just after 1:30 p.m. When crews arrived, they found a box truck fully involved. It was parked on the shoulder of the highway.
Austin Fire asked people to watch for first responders who were working in the roadway. At around 3 p.m. our crews on scene watched as a tow truck was working to remove the box truck that caught fire from the road.
