OPP say a transport truck travelling westbound on the 401 near Drumbo, caught fire and caused all lanes on the highway to close Sunday morning.
Police say the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction in the engine.
It was around 9:40 a.m. when the driver pulled over near Oxford Road 29 and safely got out of the truck.
Dave Caldwell lives nearby in Drumbo, both Caldwell and his daughter Karis, heard several explosions.
"We heard explosions there was probably four of them that went off," said Caldwell.
The combination of burning diesel fuel and melted rubber caused a large plume of black smoke to billow into the sky.
Deputy Fire Chief Blandford-Blenheim Kevin Harmer says the driver is lucky to be alive.
“When we were dispatched we could see the smoke rising all the way from the fire hall, OPP had mentioned they saw it all the way coming in from Ingersoll,” said Harmer.
The driver was carrying a load of Cinnabon cinnamon buns that were destroyed in the fire.
Anthony Ligi was trying to head back to Detroit, after a weekend hockey tournament. He said he sat in traffic for about an hour and a half.
“It was hot and we were low on gas we were worried that we might not make it,” said Ligi.
All lanes were closed for about an hour as firefighters worked to contain the flames.
For most of the day, the right lane of the highway was closed. Motorists have been reporting long line ups, and slow moving traffic all the way back to Ayr.
The Drumbo Fire Department says the right lane will be closed until tomorrow.
