Car transport truck catches fire on I-10 after crash

CHP and Cal Fire responded to eastbound I-10 just before 12 p.m. Tuesday after a truck hauling cars ignited in flames. According to officials, the fire started after the car hauler hit a burlap sack full of vegetation, possibly from a landscapers truck.

The collision happened near the Monterey Avenue on-ramp. The bundle of vegetation got caught underneath the carriage so the driver pulled over to check it out and saw the fire had already ignited.

By the time the fire was out, five of the seven cars were destroyed, causing at least $165,000 in damage, according to authorities.

Cal Fire initially said the car hauler struck another vehicle, but that wasn’t the case. However, two additional crashes happened in the area after the transporter caught fire, according to the California Highway Patrol. Nobody was injured.

Traffic was backed up to Bob Hope Drive as two of the three lanes, along with the Monterey Avenue eastbound on-ramp, were closed for over an hour. The final lane remained closed as officials cleared the roadway.

All lanes were back open by 6 p.m.