Rental truck catches fire on Mass. Pike in Allston

A rental truck caught fire on the Mass Pike on Wednesday, but firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze within a few hours.Boston Fire Department

A rental truck caught fire on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Allston on Monday afternoon, officials said, prompting the temporary closure of an off-ramp.

Emergency personnel responded to reports of a burning vehicle near the turnpike’s exit 131, at 3:23 p.m., according to Massachusetts State Police. They found a U-Haul truck, apparently containing bedding material, that was “fully engulfed” in flames.

Boston and Cambridge firefighters worked to put out the blaze, State Police said in a tweet. Meanwhile, state troopers closed the turnpike’s eastbound off-ramp to Cambridge Street.

A video tweeted by the Boston Fire Department shows the burning truck near the Cambridge Street overpass, with “thick black smoke” billowing into the overcast Allston skyline.

Video of the earlier U-haul truck fire on the Mass Pike , thick black smoke fills the air . pic.twitter.com/wPf2vsDWN4

— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) August 22, 2022

The only place for engines to access water was 50 ft below the roadway, according to the department.

Responders also put out another fire on the scene, after debris from the burning truck landed on the roof of a nearby shed, the department said.

The truck’s occupants were uninjured, according to State Police. However, one firefighter was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital after the fire was extinguished.

State Police said the burnt-out vehicle had been removed by 6:28 p.m., by which time all lanes had been reopened.

The Boston Fire Department could not be reached for comment. The Cambridge Fire Department declined comment.

This breaking news story will be updated if more information becomes available.