The eastbound and westbound lanes of Highway 156 between its
intersection with Highway 25 and San Felipe Road were closed for
more than six hours Tuesday, as authorities tried to clean up a
fire that engulfed a big rig.
The eastbound and westbound lanes of Highway 156 between its intersection with Highway 25 and San Felipe Road were closed for more than six hours Tuesday, as authorities tried to clean up a fire that engulfed a big rig.
The fire burned for nearly four hours after the California Highway Patrol reported the fire at 3:30 a.m., Officer Erica Elias said.
The fire started in the tractor of the big rig truck, and eventually spread to the trailer and the entire truck, according to a release from Calfire. The truck, which was full of produce, was fully engulfed until 8 a.m.
Produce was packaged with plastic cargo boxes that burned and melted together creating a “giant cube of burning produce,” according to Calfire.
The driver of the big rig was not injured.
The cleanup was still on going at 9 a.m., as crews worked to remove piles of plastic and leafy greens. Using flatbeds, Caltrans workers removed the burned shell of the big rig out of the middle of the roadway.
Debris from the fire crossed the entire highway.
Officers stood at the highways intersections with Highway 25 and San Felipe Road to divert drivers to other routes, Elias said.
As of 9:30 a.m. the roadways were still closed, but expected to be open by 10 a.m., Elias said.
