Fuel spill in Banning backs up I-10 holiday traffic to Palm Springs

Holiday traffic is backed up all of the way to Palm Springs on westbound I-10 after a tractor trailer spilled 80 gallons of fuel on the freeway in Banning, leading to a closure of the right lane of the freeway Saturday.

Several minor traffic collisions and increased holiday travelers in the area are also contributing to the backup.

The spill, which spanned a quarter of a mile, happened at 10:42 a.m. on the westbound 10 Freeway, west of Sunset Avenue, said Jennifer Fuhrman of the Riverside County Fire Department.

Along with the California Highway Patrol and Riverside County firefighters, a Hazardous Materials Team was dispatched to the scene. The leak was contained to the freeway, Fuhrman said.

The cause of the spill was unknown.