A platform carrying oranges burns on Bay Bridge near San Francisco

Harry Harris

Bay Area News Group

(TNS)

A tractor-trailer carrying oranges caught fire Friday morning on the Bay Bridge, forcing most westbound lanes of traffic to be temporarily closed, the California Highway Patrol said.

Two of five lanes of traffic remained closed as of 2 p.m. and a SigAlert alert remained in effect, the CHP said.

The fire broke out around 9 a.m. Friday, apparently in the braking zone under the trailer of the truck, which was heading west on I-880 on the bridge east of Treasure Island, the CHP said.

The driver of the burning truck stopped on the right shoulder.

Some people who stopped tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but were unsuccessful. By 9:14 a.m., the truck was fully engulfed in flames, with black smoke visible for miles, officials said.

A SigAlert was issued moments later and lanes two through five were closed as San Francisco firefighters battled the blaze. No injuries were reported.

The fire was brought under control shortly after and three lanes were subsequently reopened.

But according to CHP Officer Mark Andrews, the structural integrity of the trailer was compromised during the fire, making it more difficult to remove, leading to the prolonged closure of both right lanes.

Caltrans workers were also on hand to help remove the burnt oranges before they could be towed away by a heavy-duty tow truck and the area could be cleaned. The CHP said the lanes could remain closed at least until around 4 p.m.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit mercurynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.