A big rig carrying a forklift burst into flames on Interstate 15 in Norco Saturday, prompting a full closure of the highway for about an hour and a half.
The crash was reported at 4:26 p.m. on the northbound side of the freeway north of Sixth Street, according to Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department.
Initial reports indicate that the driver lost control of the truck, which ended up sideways, blocking multiple lanes of traffic, and then caught fire, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The driver exited the truck and was unharmed, said Hagemann.
Bricks and lumber from the truck’s load were strewn across the roadway and a street sweeper was summoned to the scene, the CHP said.
Personnel from the fire department’s hazmat team and from the county’s Department of Environmental Health were also sent to evaluate and clean up about 15 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled from the truck’s tank, said Hagemann.
All northbound lanes were closed at Sixth Street. Lanes reopened just after 6 p.m., according to Caltrans. Traffic, however, remained heavy through the area.