Crime & Safety

Semi Loaded with Hot Dogs Catches Fire on WB 60, Spills Diesel in Badlands

The truck fire was reported at 12:55 a.m. Friday on the westbound 60 Freeway east of Gilman Springs Road. The cleanup lasted more than 9 hours and one lane was still closed at 10:30 a.m.

Update 11:44 a.m. All lanes were open by 11:30 a.m. on the westbound 60 in the Badlands, where work crews were completing cleanup and mitigation of a bigrig fire and fuel spill on the shoulder of the freeway.

The truck fire was reported at 12:55 a.m. Friday and prompted a hazardous materials response that forced closure of one lane on the westbound 60 for more than 9 hours.

Posted 11:14 a.m. A bigrig hauling hot dogs caught fire and spilled diesel fuel on the westbound 60 Freeway early Friday in the Badlands and the cleanup lasted more than 9 hours, according to the California Highway Patrol.

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One lane of the westbound 60 was still closed at 10:30 a.m.

The fire was reported at 12:55 a.m. Friday on the westbound 60 east of Gilman Springs Road, CHP Officer Darren Meyer said in a statement.

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"The driver was able to pull the truck towards the right shoulder and escape without injury," Meyer said. "The fire engulfed the entire truck and trailer causing the diesel fuel tanks to rupture. Fuel was subsequently spilled resulting in a hazardous materials situation."

Cal Fire crews extiniguished the blaze, but one lane of the westbond 60 remained closed for more than 9 hours as hazardous materials crews worked to clean up and mitigate the spilled fuel and contaminated soil, Meyer said.

Caltrans issued the following update before 11 a.m.:

A truck accident has closed one of two lanes on westbound SR 60 one mile
east of Gilman Springs. There is a hazardous fuel spill. Estimated time
of opening is 10:00 a.m. this morning.

Motorists are advised to use I-10 as a detour to avoid delays.

Editor's Note: Cal Fire earlier reported "firefighters are on scene a semi-truck well involved in fire. The Hazardous Materials team has responded to the scene for the potential fuel leak of the 100 gallon diesiel tank truck. The number 2 lane will remain closed until the fire is contained, firefighters are allowing the fuel to burn off to minimize the runoff into the canyon."

The fire was contained at 2:01 a.m. Friday, Cheri Patterson of Cal Fire-Riverside County said in a phone interview.


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