I-41 lanes closed for nearly 4 hours overnight as a result of vehicle fire

On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at approximately 1:50 a.m., the Fond du Lac County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a box truck on fire in the northbound lanes of Interstate 41 near mile marker 90 in the Town of Byron.

A deputy with the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and observed that the truck was fully engulfed in flames. The Brownsville Fire Department and Lomira Fire Department also responded.

Due to the severity of the fire, the northbound lanes of Interstate 41 were initially closed at State Highway 49 in Dodge County. Traffic was detoured westbound on State Highway 49 to northbound State Highway 175, then eastbound on County Highway B, returning to northbound Interstate 41.

The truck and its contents were considered a total loss. The fire is not considered suspicious. No civilian or emergency personnel injuries were reported.

After the fire was extinguished, responders observed chunks of metal that had melted onto the Interstate 41 travel lanes. The metal had hardened, creating a traffic hazard. The Fond du Lac County Highway Department was contacted to assist with removing the metal before the roadway could be reopened.

Northbound Interstate 41 was closed for approximately four hours and reopened at 5:50 A.M.