The heavily trafficked northbound Interstate 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas has been closed since early Friday morning after a big drilling rig carrying lithium batteries overturned, caught fire and posed a chemical hazard.
A single-vehicle collision occurred just after 6am on Friday morning near the Afton Road exit, causing traffic to be backed up for miles. The California Highway Patrol said traffic was being rerouted on a stretch of road between Barstow and Baker in San Bernardino County, sharing designated southbound lanes of the highway.
Multiple attempts were made to use the San Bernardino County Fire Department’s heavy equipment to move the truck’s hazardous cargo container from the highway shoulder to an open space, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said Saturday morning.
“However, the weight of the container exceeds 75,000 pounds, making these efforts unsuccessful to date,” the department said.
The department said the highway was closed because “lithium ion fires are particularly dangerous due to chemicals released during the exhaust process.”
The remote location of the accident also created difficulties for emergency responders.
“One of the significant challenges in this remote area is the logistics of transporting equipment, personnel and water to the site,” the department said. “This area of the county is located far from many of our stations…Current traffic conditions further Increased response time.”
The Center for Health Protection said it was monitoring air quality in risk areas.