Firefighters spent an hour battling a trailer fire on I-94 near the Lake Forest Oasis that caused a massive plume of black smoke in the sky on Tuesday morning.
The Illinois State Police, Libertyville Fire Department and Lake Forest Fire Department responded around 11:25 a.m. Tuesday to the Lake Forest Oasis on-ramp from I-94 eastbound for reports of a semi-truck on fire.
A massive plume of black smoke was visible for miles as emergency crews rushed to the fire.
Troopers and firefighters arrived in minutes to find a trailer fully involved in flames on the ramp to enter the Lake Forest Oasis, which is located between Routes 176 and 60.
The cab of the trailer was disconnected prior to their arrival, Libertyville Assistant Fire Chief Justin Hubbard said.
Firefighters deployed two hose lines to battle the fire.
The trailer contained refrigerated produce items like vegetables and fruits, Hubbard said.
An additional fire engine and water tender responded to the scene to assist in fire suppression and water supply operations.
Hubbard said the greatest difficulty was the lack of a water source, like fire hydrants, due to the location of the incident.
It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the fire and perform overhaul operations, Hubbard added.
No one was injured.
The exact cause of the fire is unknown, but witnesses reported it appeared to have started in the brake and tire areas of the tractor-trailer.