Dump truck fire closes lanes, sparks brush fire on I-75 in Hernando County

Southbound Interstate 75 turned into a slow-moving backup in Hernando County after a dump truck fire near Church Road sent flames into nearby brush, forcing lane closures and leaving drivers to crawl past mile marker 295 and 296 for much of Wednesday afternoon.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded shortly before 3:30 p.m. after a dump truck and trailer had a mechanical issue while traveling southbound on I-75. The truck pulled onto the outside shoulder, where it ignited, and the fire then spread off the roadway into the wooded edge beside the highway. Traffic was slowed as crews worked the scene and warnings went out for drivers to expect delays and use caution.

The problem grew from a vehicle fire into a roadside brush fire, adding smoke and fire control to an already busy interstate shutdown. According to local fire and traffic reports, the blaze was sparked before 4 p.m. after a blown tire and heat from the tire ignited nearby vegetation. Southbound lanes were temporarily fully closed near mile marker 296 because of smoke, then at least two lanes reopened before 6 p.m. as crews continued clearing the area.

Hernando County Fire Rescue crews spent hours on scene, with Florida Forest Service crews also responding to the brush fire. The incident showed how fast a single heavy truck failure can ripple through the county’s main north-south corridor, disrupting school pickups, work commutes, and freight movement along one of the busiest stretches of I-75 in Central Florida.

The fire came at a time when dry conditions have already raised local concern about wildfire risk. Hernando County put its burn ban in effect April 14 for unincorporated Hernando County and the City of Brooksville, after officials noted a spike in brush fires and said the county’s Keetch-Byram Drought Index had reached 509 and was still rising on April 13. That backdrop helped turn a roadside mechanical failure into a prolonged emergency response on the interstate.