Brush Fires Slow Traffic on I-95 Westport, Route 6 Barnstable

Several fires caused traffic disruptions on major highways in the U.S. this week. In Westport, Connecticut, a brush fire fueled by wind and difficult terrain led to the closure of two lanes on I-95 South between Exits 19 and 18, requiring extensive firefighting efforts including hose lines, a ladder pipe, and a police drone to contain the blaze, which caused traffic backups up to Exit 29. Similarly, two fires on the median strip of Route 6 westbound in Barnstable, Massachusetts, each about 20 by 50 feet and separated by 100 yards, were quickly extinguished by firefighters, with only one lane closed for about 30 minutes. A vehicle fire near mile marker 191 on I-81 northbound in Rockbridge County, Virginia, caused lane closures and delays, while a car fire on Interstate 29 in Watertown, South Dakota, involving a BMW fully engulfed in flames, resulted in a lane closure for approximately 45 minutes; the driver sustained minor injuries. All incidents involved coordinated emergency responses from local fire departments and law enforcement, with no fatalities reported.