50,000 pounds of ribs go up in smoke

HAZEL CREST -- Twenty-five tons of beef ribs went up in smoke overnight after the truck in which they were transported caught fire in the South suburbs.

Illinois State Police Master Sgt. David Bird says the blaze was ignited in the semitrailer's breaking system early Wednesday morning.

It spread and consumed the entire trailer, turning the 50,000-pound meaty load into a massive barbecue alongside the interstate.

The truck's driver wasn't injured.