Interstate 93 in Boston clogged after vehicle fire

(Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff)

By Gabrielle Dunn, Globe Correspondent

Interstate 93 in Boston was completely shut down for more than a half hour just after 7 p.m. tonight after a pickup truck caught fire, igniting ammunition that was loaded in the back. Traffic was backed up for miles while firefighters cautiously attacked the blaze.

Inside the camper shell on the back of the truck, firearms, black powder, and ammunition had exploded, said Fire Lieutenant Paul Souza. He said the truck was engulfed in flames by the time crews arrived.

The driver of the vehicle, who Souza said was a hunter, was transported to a Boston hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries.

Fire officials are investigating the cause of the blaze. It did not appear the truck was involved in an accident. Instead, it appeared it pulled over near Exit 16 heading northbound.

Shortly after 7:30 p.m., one lane on the northbound side had reopened, and the entire southbound side was opened.