San Bernardino County Fire
A tractor trailer carrying lithium-ion batteries overturned and caught fire on July 26, 2024, on Interstate 15 between California and Las Vegas.
A major highway between California and Las Vegas has been closed for over 30 hours following a tractor trailer carrying hazardous materials that overturned and caught fire.
Officials have stated that a section of this essential highway will remain closed for an “unknown duration” as crews monitor the air for any potential hazardous chemicals and work to remove the massive trailer.
The incident occurred on Interstate 15 near Barstow, California, around 6 a.m. on July 26, 2024. The truck, carrying a flatbed trailer of lithium-ion batteries, lost control, and the trailer detached, eventually igniting.
“Due to the lithium-ion batteries, water cannot be used to extinguish the fire; the batteries must burn out on their own,” stated the California Highway Patrol.
Initially, both northbound and southbound lanes were closed due to the hazardous situation; however, southbound lanes have since reopened, while northbound lanes remain closed as of Saturday evening.
Crews on the scene are conducting air quality tests and will reopen the remaining lanes when deemed safe. “The primary concern is the air quality due to the hazardous materials and chemicals involved,” a fire official stated. “Air monitoring is assessing for hydrogen cyanide, chlorine, and sulfur dioxide, which pose significant health risks at elevated levels, particularly hydrogen cyanide and chlorine, which are dangerous even at low concentrations.”
Efforts to remove the 75,000-pound container of hazardous materials from the highway have been challenging due to its weight, as reported by fire officials.
Many drivers caught in the traffic have expressed their frustrations. Charles Gallagher, who was on his way home to Las Vegas, described the situation as a “complete mess.” The journey, which typically takes four hours, turned into an 11-hour ordeal.
Gallagher and his family left Los Angeles at 3:30 p.m. on Friday and encountered traffic in Barstow around 6 p.m., at which point they were rerouted to Interstate 40.
Charles Gallagher
Cars are backed up on Interstate 40 as traffic between California and Las Vegas is rerouted due to a truck carrying hazardous materials that overturned and caught fire on Interstate 15.
Realizing that traffic was not going to move, Gallagher’s family turned around and spent the night in Barstow. The following morning, they opted for I-40, as I-15 was still closed.
“There were times that we were at a standstill for 45 minutes or more,” Gallagher recounted. “Many of us would get out to stretch.”
They were stuck on I-40 for seven hours before finally taking Route 66 and reaching home in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon.
The family had prepared for the journey by stocking up on water and ensuring they had a full tank of gas. To stay cool during the ordeal, they used a sunshade over the front window whenever they stopped.
With temperatures soaring over 100 degrees in the area, fire officials distributed water to some of the stranded drivers.
“Emergency crews are on scene monitoring the hazardous materials and air quality levels,” stated the California Highway Patrol on Saturday evening. “Once the hazardous materials personnel have deemed the area safe, we will discuss the reopening of the northbound lanes, aiming to open all lanes as soon as possible.”
