The northbound aspect of the closely traveled 15 Freeway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas has been closed since early Friday morning, when a giant rig carrying lithium batteries overturned, caught fireplace and created a chemical hazard — and a visitors nightmare stretching for miles within the desert warmth.
As of Saturday evening, the California Freeway Patrol had not estimated when the northbound lanes would reopen. Earlier within the night, the truck was nonetheless smoldering, however by evening the fireplace had been put out, in line with CHP.
“As soon as hazmat personnel have deemed the realm secure, reopening of the northbound lanes can be mentioned, with the purpose of opening all lanes as quickly as doable,” the CHP mentioned in a Fb publish.
With the 15’s primary lanes to Las Vegas closed, many vacationers turned to alternate routes such because the 40 Freeway. However the desolate freeway that runs southeast from Barstow rapidly clogged up.
In a flurry of social media posts, individuals complained about being caught in standstill visitors whereas baking in 100-degree warmth. Many wrote that authorities had vastly mishandled the state of affairs by failing to warn individuals to keep away from congested roads, and mentioned time estimates on GPS maps have been incorrect. They described probably harmful circumstances with vehicles overheating, or working out of fuel or electrical cost. Different highways such because the 118 have been additionally reportedly congested.
“Simply hit my sixth hour caught on this I-40 visitors grid lock. my thermometer has learn 105-115 and individuals are stranded on each side of the street working out of fuel, no meals or water for miles,” X person @travislaine wrote.
One Fb person wrote that some drivers on the 40, not prepared to attend, drove on the unsuitable aspect of the freeway towards oncoming visitors.
“There isn’t any visitors management no state patrol no indicators no nothing simply individuals getting impatient within the desert … That is gonna get harmful,” the person, Tiffany Cordova, wrote.
“Maps apps should not correct with the period of time it’s taking,” one Fb person wrote. “Keep away from when you can!”
A CHP spokesperson confirmed reviews of heavy congestion and folks stranded on the 40 Saturday, and mentioned the company had despatched a number of items from different places of work to help. The spokesperson urged that drivers discover inns or different secure locations to attend out the visitors.
The only-vehicle crash occurred shortly after 6 a.m. Friday close to the 15’s Afton Street exit, between Barstow and Baker in San Bernardino County. Northbound visitors had since been rerouted within the space to share the freeway’s southbound lanes, the CHP mentioned. Southbound lanes have been initially closed after the crash as nicely, however reopened Saturday morning, officers mentioned.
A number of makes an attempt have been made to maneuver the truck’s hazardous container from the freeway shoulder to open land utilizing heavy gear from the San Bernardino County Hearth District, the division mentioned on X Saturday morning.
“Nevertheless, the container’s weight, exceeding 75,000 kilos, has made these efforts unsuccessful to this point,” fireplace officers mentioned.
The freeway closure was needed, the company mentioned, as a result of “lithium-ion fires are notably hazardous as a result of chemical compounds launched throughout off-gassing.”
The distant location of the accident additionally created problem for emergency responders.
“One of many important challenges on this distant space is the logistics of transporting gear, personnel, and water to the scene,” fireplace officers mentioned. “This space of the county could be very distant from lots of our stations. … Present visitors circumstances have additional elevated these response instances.”
Air high quality inside the hazardous zone is being monitored, the CHP mentioned.
Emergency personnel established a buffer space across the truck’s hazardous container that stretched a few third of a mile, CHP mentioned on Fb, citing “the inherent hazard of the fireplace and potential inhalation hazard.”
By Saturday evening, CHP reported that crews have been within the technique of checking the dust across the hazardous trailer.
“Heavy responsibility gear to maneuver the trailer is on scene and efforts to maneuver the trailer will proceed as soon as deemed secure for the crews. That is an ever altering hazmat incident and crews are working across the clock,” CHP mentioned in a Fb publish at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
Alex Sanchez, who drove again to the Los Angeles space Saturday after a visit to Laughlin, mentioned he was horrified to see “miles upon miles” of bumper to bumper northbound visitors on the 40, with individuals milling about round vehicles caught on the aspect of the street.
Sanchez mentioned he noticed many ambulances and fireplace vehicles responding to varied automobiles pulled over alongside the freeway, particularly round Ludlow, the place temperatures hit above 110 levels.
Raj Chipalu mentioned he started his drive at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday from Ontario. His GPS confirmed it will take about 4 hours and 45 minutes to drive to Vegas. After getting caught on the 15, Chipalu rerouted to the 40, which was so jammed it took hours to maneuver only one mile. Chipalu switched off his air-con for a lot of the drive to protect gas. He finally made it to Vegas — in 13 hours.
Palm Springs Metropolis Councilmember Lisa Middleton spent Saturday afternoon on a number of cellphone calls along with her son, who had deliberate a street journey. He left Ventura County Saturday morning and bought caught within the again up on the 40 in “absolutely the center of the desert,” she mentioned.
In the end, Middleton mentioned her son drove again to Barstow after which charted a route north on the 395 by means of Dying Valley, reaching the Nevada state line in about 10 hours.
“There was treasured little data, as a result of they have been in an space the place web service is at finest spotty,” Middleton mentioned. She mentioned all of the hiccups and lack of knowledge individuals have had on the street at the moment “raises the query of reliability of GPS methods that so many people take as a right.”
