Parts of I-285 in Cobb County were backed up for hours Tuesday after a tractor-trailer carrying paint caught on fire, officials said.

The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the interstate just past Atlanta Road, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The big rig was carrying paint products, Cobb fire spokesperson Nick Danz said. A hazmat team remained at the scene more than seven hours after the incident. The last firetruck left the interstate at about 8 p.m., hours after the blaze had already been extinguished.

Around the same time, a third lane of I-285 opened to traffic. For hours, vehicles had to share a single lane, causing major backups during the evening commute.

Authorities have not said what caused the spill or if anyone was injured.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez