Thousands Of Pounds Of Trash Catch Fire On I-95 Near Portsmouth

GREENLAND, NH — A tractor-trailer hauling thousands of pounds of garbage caught fire on Interstate 95 in Greenland Tuesday. Police said the driver, who was working for North Andover, Massachusetts-based Commonwealth Waste Transportation, was traveling north on the highway at about 5:20 a.m. when his truck caught fire.

"The trailer was loaded with debris and household garbage," New Hampshire State Police Lieutenant John Hennessey said in a statement. "For reasons that are still under investigation, the contents of the trailer caught on fire."

Two lanes of traffic were closed and it took first responders seven hours to extinguish the blaze and remove the debris.

"This created significant traffic delays in the area of this incident," Hennessey added.

Police shared a photo of the debris (above).

Photo credit: New Hampshire State Police