A big rig packed with produce burst into flames following a collision with another truck on the 15 Freeway near Baker, snarling traffic into the afternoon, authorities said.
The fiery wreck took place about 3:30 a.m. on the northbound side of the freeway, just north of Baker, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Following the crash, initial reports from the scene indicated one of the trucks, later found to be hauling cauliflower, was “fully engulfed” in flames and appeared to be “exploding,” CHP logs show.
Firefighters declared the fire out about 4:45 a.m. before beginning “extensive mop-up” operations, San Bernardino County Fire Department officials said in a written statement.
They prevented the flames from spreading to the second truck.
Both drivers were treated for apparently minor injuries, fire officials said.
A heavy equipment crew responded to help clean the spilled vegetables from the roadway.
Two of the three northbound lanes of the 15 Freeway remained shut down until about 11 a.m., when a second lane was reopened, according to the CHP.
The right-hand lane remained closed as work continued at the scene Wednesday afternoon.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Big rig hauling cauliflower explodes into flames following crash on 15 Freeway near Baker
Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
