Banana-hauling big rig catches fire on I-5 near Boyle Heights
Traffic was jammed Wednesday on the southbound Golden State (5) Freeway through Boyle Heights after a big rig loaded with 80,000 pounds of bananas caught fire.
The fire was reported just after 10 a.m. north of Mission Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The truck was well-involved with flames on the right shoulder of the road when firefighters arrived, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Firefighters put out the flames in 29 minutes with no injuries reported, she said.
The CHP issued a SigAlert at 10:15 a.m., shutting down lanes four of five lanes of traffic, one of which was reopened at 10:50 a.m.
The remaining lanes remained closed as of noon while the bananas were being moved from the damaged rig to another one, the CHP reported.