Fire in truck carrying lithium ion batteries leads to 3-hour evacuation in Columbus, Ohio

Authorities evacuated part of Ohio’s capital, Columbus, for hours amid fears that a fire in a truck trailer could have caused lithium-ion batteries to explode.

Columbus, Ohio — Authorities evacuated part of Ohio’s capital, Columbus, for several hours on Thursday amid fears that a fire in a truck trailer could have caused lithium-ion batteries to explode.

Police began evacuating an area several blocks west of downtown shortly after 7 a.m. and closed several highway exits near the Scioto River. Officers went door to door to warn residents of the evacuation and a shelter was set up at a community center.

Although firefighters were still battling the blaze late in the morning, the evacuation order was lifted about three hours after it was issued and no injuries were reported.

The evacuation was ordered out of fear that the batteries could burn and explode very quickly.

The fire was discovered around 6 a.m., but the back of the smoke trailer was not opened until around 9 a.m. as authorities worked to determine the best way to extinguish the fire.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.