A truck hauling a load of paper towels caught fire on State Highway 2 last night, leaving traffic backed up between Baypark and Te Puke for almost three hours.
The Priority Logistics truck was travelling towards Mount Maunganui when its back tyre caught fire, spreading into the container on the back.
Police Constable Kurt Waugh said the driver did not notice the fire until a member of the public waved him down.
Emergency services were called to the scene between Bell Rd and Poplar Lane at 3.55pm, and Papamoa fire officer Jon Gebert said the driver had parked on the side of the highway and disconnected the cab from the trailer by the time they arrived.
Traffic was reduced to one lane as firefighters extinguished the exterior flames, waiting for more water to arrive before they opened the container and dampened the still-smoking contents.