Burned bagels spill onto NW Indiana expressway during semi fire

Fire departments responded to a fire involving a semitrailer full of bagels on Oct. 6, 2019. | Indiana State Police

A semitrailer hauling thousands of pounds of frozen bagels went up in flames Sunday evening in northwest Indiana.

An off-duty Indiana State Trooper witnessed the semi traveling north on I-65 in Jasper County about 5:40 p.m. when heavy smoke started coming from the truck’s rear axel, Indiana State Police said in a statement.

The trooper managed to stop the truck on the right shoulder near the 209 mile marker, but the truck’s brakes were already on fire, state police said. The rear tires of the semi exploded from the heat as flames moved quickly to the rear trailer.

The 31-year-old driver of the semi, a Florida man, was able to disconnect the tractor from the trailer, which was full of 38,000 pounds of frozen bagels, state police said.

Fire departments from several townships arrived and extinguished the blaze, which had burned a hole through the side and roof of the trailer, state police said.

Photos showed hundreds of charred bagels spread along the roadway and shoulder.

Troopers shut down the right lane of the expressway until 1 a.m. as crews removed the trailer and cleaned up the burned bagels, state police said.

Fire departments responded to a fire involving a semitrailer full of bagels on Oct. 6, 2019.