Both directions of the 5 Freeway were temporarily shut down through the Grapevine after a big rig erupted in flames on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
The blaze was reported just after 2:10 p.m. on the southbound 5 at Lower Water Hole and spread to a nearby hillside, according to the California Highway Patrol’s incident log.
A photo released by Caltrans showed lanes obscured by thick, black smoke. Multiple agencies responded to extinguish the blaze, including personnel from Cal Fire and the Kern County Fire Department.
Officials initially closed only the southbound side of the interstate through the Grapevine before shutting down the entire freeway in the Fort Tejon area around 2:30 p.m., according to CHP’s log.
The northbound lanes were open again about an hour later, while the southbound side began reopening shortly before 4:30 p.m.