Towed car catches fire, leaves I-5 traffic snarled

EVERETT — Traffic on northbound I-5 backed up for miles Thursday afternoon after a car that was being towed by a truck caught fire.

A large flatbed truck going northbound was carrying three cars and towing a fourth car that caught fire about 1 p.m. just north of the 128th Street SW exit, Snohomish County Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said.

One car on the flatbed caught fire as well, she said. Nobody was hurt.

The Washington State Patrol initially closed all northbound lanes, but most were reopened once the truck was moved to the side of the road, Hynes said.

It’s unclear why the car caught fire, she said. The incident remains under investigation.