I-65 reopens near Demotte

Southbound traffic on I-65 in northwest Indiana is reopened after it was closed closed a mile north of Demotte because of a semi that caught fire Monday afternoon. Indiana State Police say it happened about one yesterday afternoon when the semi driver pulled off to the side of the road when he noticed a problem with the brakes on the tractor. The driver says the brakes were glowing red and started a fire, that he tried to put out with an extinguisher he had in the cab of the truck, but instead the fire spread to the trailer which was full of paint cans. The report says the fire quickly spread to adjacent trees and even caught the asphalt under the truck on fire. At one point, both sides of the interstate were closed down because of smoke from the fire. Repairs to the pavement were expected to be completed earlier this morning. The driver of the semi escaped injury.