I-10 car fire halts traffic from Palm Springs to Beaumont

A vehicle fire shut down a lane on westbound Interstate 10 in Beaumont today, worsening already bad traffic as motorists return from the Labor Day weekend.

“Looks bumper to bumper…for at least an hour down the road there going east is fine but west is just packed for miles and miles,” said Victor Olvera, on his way home to Arizona.

This caused issues for drivers on the road Monday in addition to several other valley closures due to the early morning storm.

Other drivers heading eastbound after the holiday say they saw the I-10 freeway backed up for miles.

“It’s a parking lot…it’s probably about a 10 mile backup…it’s not moving,” said Andrea & Madison Carey, driving home to Phoenix.

The gridlock extended for about 25 miles all the way to Palm Springs by 1 p.m., according to Sigalert.com.

The No. 1 lane at Pennsylvania Avenue was blocked due to a vehicle catching fire and becoming fully engulfed at about noon, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Riverside County firefighters responded and extinguished flames, but the closure remained in place.