Houston Transtar cameras captured the flames ripping through the rig along the southbound lanes of I-45 North, just south of West Road, around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The driver escaped the torched rig.
18-wheeler fire along I-45 North, SB lanes, south of West Road.
All southbound lanes were closed in the area at one point. Seven hours after the fire, all lanes are back open.
"We were driving down I-45 and heard a boom, boom, boom," said witness Jonathan Johnson.
Johnson told ABC13 he pulled in to a nearby hotel parking lot to see if anyone needed to be rescued.
"'Oh my God, is anybody in there, do I need to help? What do I need to go do?' But I found that nobody was in there," Johnson said.
It is not known what caused the fire or what the 18-wheeler was hauling at the time.
This incident comes less than 24 hours after three 18-wheelers were involved in accidents on different, major Houston roadways.
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