The northbound side of the busy Interstate 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas has been closed since early Friday after a large truck carrying lithium batteries overturned, caught fire and created a chemical hazard.
The single-vehicle crash happened shortly after 6 a.m. Friday near the Afton Road exit and caused traffic to back up for miles. Traffic has since been diverted to share the freeway’s designated southbound lanes on a stretch between Barstow and Baker in San Bernardino County, the California Highway Patrol said.
Multiple attempts were made to move the hazardous container from the truck's shoulder to open ground using heavy equipment from the San Bernardino County Fire Department, the department said Saturday morning.
“However, the weight of the container, which exceeds 75,000 pounds, has made these efforts unsuccessful so far,” the department said.
The road closure is because “lithium ion fires are particularly dangerous due to the chemicals released during outgassing,” the department said.
The remote location of the accident also created difficulties for emergency services.
“One of the most significant challenges in this remote area is the logistics of transporting equipment, personnel and water to the scene,” the department said. “This area of the county is very remote from many of our stations… Current traffic conditions have further increased these response times.”
Air quality within the hazardous zone is being monitored, the CHP said.
