Thousands 'running out of gas and water' on I-40 after semi-truck with lithium batteries burns down

Thousands of people driving down Interstate 40 in California are stranded on the road, 'running out of gas and water,' after a semi-truck carrying lithium batteries caught fire yesterday.

Traffic was diverted yesterday from the I-40 outside of Barstow, CA, after a semi-truck began to burn , causing a 'persistent fire' that has been burning for nearly 30 hours. Last reports from this afternoon showed the fire was small and contained but ongoing on the side of the road.

Many have now spent the night in their vehicles, as temperatures on the road hit 100 F. Most are stuck until the road can be cleared, with reports on social media stating: "Thousands of people headed to Las Vegas have been stuck on the I-40 for many hours, running out of gas and water."

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The drivers not moving are on I-40 east. They were diverted from the I-15 NB, and the fire was started on the I-15 yesterday.

San Bernardino County Fire officials said on X that they initially planned to open one northbound lane around noon. However, a hazardous materials team tested the air for toxic fumes and found that the situation remained dangerous to health. "These chemicals pose significant health risks at elevated levels, with hydrogen cyanide and chlorine being particularly dangerous even at low concentrations," say highway patrol officials.

Currently, there is no set schedule for reopening the northbound I-15. Motorists are advised to avoid northbound travel on the 15 and consider alternate routes through the 40 Freeway. However, nearly two and a half hours of traffic delays have been reported on Highway 40 over a 70-mile stretch from Pisgah to Fenner.

There have been no reports of significant traffic slowdowns on southbound 15 for motorists returning from Las Vegas to California.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) wrote on X that they have "alternated the north and southbound flow on the southbound lanes. Multiple attempts were made to move the container from the freeway shoulder to open land using heavy equipment from the County Fire's Special Operations Division, including an excavator and a dozer."

They add that: "Ground improvements and grading were completed in preparation for relocating the container to a safe area for long-term mitigation and cleanup. However, the container's weight, exceeding 75,000 pounds, has made these efforts unsuccessful so far."

Photos of standstill traffic are circulating social media, with an account named Las Vegas Locally showed off a video of cars and trucks lining all sides of the highway.