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Residents forced out of home after chemical fire can return

Rutherford County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Keith Lowery answers questions after a press conference near the scene of a semi fire involving hazardous materials that shut down I-24 in Rutherford County Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016. Emergency crews have evacuated dozens of homes and shut down part of an interstate in Middle Tennessee after a semi-truck carrying hazardous pool chemicals crashed and caught fire. (Helen Comer/The Daily News Journal via AP) Rutherford County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Keith Lowery answers questions after a press conference near the scene of a semi fire involving hazardous materials that shut down I-24 in Rutherford County Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016. Emergency crews have evacuated dozens of homes and shut down part of an interstate in Middle Tennessee after a semi-truck carrying hazardous pool chemicals crashed and caught fire. (Helen Comer/The Daily News Journal via AP)

By Associated Press December 14, 2016 1 min read

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) – Residents forced to leave their homes after a semitrailer carrying hazardous pool chemicals crashed and caught fire are being allowed to return home.

WKRN-TV (http://bit.ly/2gC1NaH ) reports people were allowed to go home just after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday once the fire was fully extinguished. The station said as many as 150 homes were evacuated.

Officials are still urging residents and motorists to avoid Interstate 24 if possible.

The crash involved two tractor-trailers. Both drivers were taken to local hospitals with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Lisa Marchesoni said in a statement that the crash happened about 3 a.m. Wednesday on I-24 near the 89 mile marker, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville.

Officials were still working to clear the scene in the afternoon.