PORTLAND, Ore. — A semitrailer truck hauling fuel crashed into a parked railroad tanker on Sunday, sparking a fire that sent up plumes of black smoke visible for miles.

The truck driver was killed, and authorities continued to investigate the cause of the crash, Portland police said

Dozens of firefighters rushed to the scene from around Portland and nearby Vancouver, Wash., as flames reached 70 feet tall.

The rail tankers, which contained liquid asphalt, did not leak.

It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, which began shortly before 9 a.m. in an industrial area along U.S. 30. It burned just south of the iconic St. Johns Bridge over the Willamette River.

Nearby businesses were evacuated, the highway was closed and a half-marathon was canceled.

When the truck crashed, the unknown type of fuel it was carrying leaked underneath railroad tanker cars parked on the tracks.