Overview
- An 18-wheeler caught fire just before 3 a.m. on the southbound main lanes of the Gulf Freeway at Bay Area Boulevard.
- Authorities confirm the vehicle was a tanker and describe a spreading fuel fire requiring extended cleanup.
- Drivers were diverted into the Baybrook Mall parking lot as police and fire crews secured the scene.
- Houston TranStar cameras showed at least eight police units covering lanes around 5 a.m. as drivers exited.
- Bystander video captured large flames shooting several feet into the air, and officials have not yet reported whether anyone was injured.