Northbound lanes of U.S. Interstate 15 in California remain closed due to ongoing battery fire

A truck hauling lithium batteries overturned on U.S. Interstate 15 near Baker, California, Friday, causing a battery fire that has blocked the northbound lanes for over a day.

I-15 is the main route connecting Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The truck overturned in the northbound lanes and its trailer caught fire at about 4:52 a.m. local time, the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District said on social media. There were no injuries.

Further fueling the fire was the truck’s cargo of lithium-ion batteries. Putting out lithium battery fires can be difficult; the initial fire decomposes chemicals in the battery which then release oxygen that fuels the fire. 

The fire continued burning overnight, fire officials said in an update Saturday, and attempts to move the container of batteries off the road and onto open land were unsuccessful as of 10:18 a.m. local time because it weighs 75,000 pounds.

Heat from the reactions increases the battery’s temperature, which increases chemical reactions in a cycle known as thermal runaway. In this manner, a burning battery can go from 212 degrees Fahrenheit to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit in a second, according to a 2023 article from Clemson University.

Remaining heat in the batteries can also restart fires even after they have been initially doused.

Officials were also concerned about the ongoing release of toxic airborne chemicals due to the fire, including chlorine, hydrogen cyanide and sulfur dioxide. Hazmat crews measured the air quality Saturday afternoon and determined the northbound lanes of I-15 could not yet reopen.

“Emergency crews on scene are still assessing the situation and evaluating options. The situation and fire remain volatile. The previous anticipated time of opening lanes will not be achievable,” the California Highway Patrol office in Barstow, California, wrote in a post on Facebook at around 12:55 p.m. local time.

Both commuters and other travelers remain stuck due to the fire.

“Thousands upon thousands of commuters headed for Vegas are stuck. … There has been between 40 to 60 emergency calls open (to dispatch) much of the time for everything from medical emergencies to crashes to disabled vehicles,” California Highway Patrol Officer Shane Hernandez told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Saturday.