NEW BOSTON, Texas—A blowout sparked a fire Thursday morning on an 18-wheeler transporting thousands of rubber tires to Texarkana via Interstate 30, authorities said.

The fire, which created heavy black smoke and led to the closing of a 15-mile stretch of roadway, was fought by several local fire departments.

“When we got to the scene, flames were flashing out approximately 20 feet from the truck,” said Lt. Robin Hilton, assistant fire marshal for the New Boston Volunteer Fire Department.

The blowout led to hot brakes on the truck, which sparked and caught t...

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