Tow truck fire closes westbound Interstate 70

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A fire closed down Interstate 70 east of Columbia on Thursday but the road reopened a little before 2 p.m.

Westbound I-70 was closed after a fire that was reported about an hour earlier. A flatbed tow truck caught fire and was 50% involved when firefighters arrived, said a Boone County Fire Protection District spokesman.

Emergency dispatchers sent out public alerts about the closure. Traffic cameras showed vehicles at a standstill near the Millersburg exit. The backup extended to at least mile marker 144, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation's traveler information map.

The backed-up traffic is likely to persist as vehicles move through the area that was closed.