Truck fire closes Caldecott Tunnel bore; some vehicles stuck
OAKLAND — A pickup truck fire Tuesday morning closed an eastbound bore of the Caldecott Tunnel for more than two hours, officials said.
No injuries were reported.
The fire was reported about 9:53 a.m. on eastbound Highway 24 in bore 2 of the tunnel, the California Highway Patrol said.
A Ford F150 caught fire about halfway in the tunnel, causing some 20 to 30 other vehicles to be stuck in the backup, the CHP said. The occupants of the vehicles self-evacuated, and their vehicles were removed later, authorities said
Oakland firefighters responded to the scene and a SigAlert was issued about 10:07 a.m. closing both bore 1 and 2 to allow firefighters to fight the fire, which caused thick smoke to billow from the tunnel..
One lane of eastbound bore 1 was reopened about 10:21 a.m. and the other soon after.
More than 30 Oakland firefighters responded and had the fire under control about 10:30 a.m., Battalion Chief Frank Tijiboy said.
Bore 2 remained closed until 12:39 p.m. while the burned truck was removed and cleanup was conducted.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.