Cleanup from chemical spill and fire that shut down I-24 in Tennessee could take days
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Cleanup from a chemical spill and fire near Interstate 24 in Tennessee will take several days, after the interstate was shut down and nearby homes evacuated overnight on Thursday. According to the Chattanooga Fire Department, emergency responders were called to the scene just after 9 p.m. when a tractor-trailer carrying peracetic acid and sodium hydroxide caught fire in a shopping center parking lot. Shortly before 5 a.m. Friday, incident command reopened I-24 and allowed the evacuated residents to return. The shopping center and nearby road remain closed. An preliminary investigation found that a leak caused a chemical reaction that resulted in the fire.
