Thick smoke and flames were seen billowing from a truck and trailer that caught fire along Highway 2 near the small Alberta town of Carstairs on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Carstairs Fire Chief Jordan Schaffer, fire crews from Carstairs, Didsbury and Crossfield were called to the blaze.
Schaffer said two people, one of which was the driver of the truck, were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
He added a grass fire also started as a result of the blaze, which spread several kilometres down the highway in a ditch before it was contained.
Photos and videos sent to Global News showed bright flames coming from the fire, as well as heavy, black smoke rising from the highway and across the sky.
Schaffer said the biggest struggle for emergency crews was controlling traffic and keeping other drivers safe. No other vehicles were damaged by the flames, he said.
511 Alberta tweeted at 2:09 p.m. that drivers were being detoured around the fire, which was impacting traffic in both lanes.
As of 2:38 p.m., the traffic report service said the fire had been put out, but drivers were still being urged to use caution in the area and expect delays.
Schaffer said the cause of the fire is under investigation. He said crews should be out of the area and the highway would be fully reopened by about 5:30 p.m.
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