Tanker fire closes I-880 in Oakland

Final Update: The fire has been extinguished and tow trucks have responded to the scene to remove vehicles and debris.
Per the California Highway Patrol (CHP), northbound lanes 2, 3 and 4 are open on Interstate 880. Northbound lane 1 and all southbound lanes remain closed, with alternate routes available. There are no reported injuries resulting from this incident. The OES Coastal and Law Enforcement Duty Officers continue to monitor the situation.

OAKLAND — A massive tanker truck fire following a car crash has prompted authorities to shut down all lanes of southbound Interstate 880 this morning, the California Highway Patrol said.

A vehicle struck the center divide about 6:15 a.m. near 16th Avenue, and soon after a rig carrying gasoline struck that vehicle, causing a tank of about 8,600 gallons of fuel to spill and catch fire.

A total of three vehicles were involved, according to the Oakland Fire Department. Three people suffered minor injuries but refused ambulance transport.

Southbound I-880 has been shut down at 16th Avenue, and the CHP is advising motorists to take alternate routes — primarily I-580 — to get around the crash site. Truck traffic is also being directed to I-580

Source Article: The Mercury News, By Robert Salonga, Bay Area News Group

Additional Information:

Tanker fire doused but freeway still shut down

Firefighters have knocked down a massive blaze that erupted after a gas tanker truck crashed and exploded on Interstate 880, but the freeway remains blocked, authorities said.

The incident was reported at about 6:15 a.m. when a car collided with a big rig on I-880 at 16th Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The truck - carrying 8,600 gallons of gasoline - exploded, and firefighters used water and foam to extinguish a blaze that sent flames shooting more than 50 feet into the air.

"It was just all flames," said Mark Andriani, 32, of Alameda. "We couldn't even stand over here. We were standing around the corner," about 200 yards away, he said.

The heat from the fire was so intense that it melted plastic along a fence on the side of the freeway, telephone poles, electrical wires and half of a speed-limit sign, which now reads "5." Tree stumps were still smoldering hours after the crash.

By 7:30 a.m., the flames were knocked down. No injuries were reported.

The crash has shut down all lanes I-880, and drivers are being diverted off the freeway, the CHP said. Some drivers got out of their cars to watch the early-morning spectacle.

Motorists should use Interstate 580. Big rigs are also temporarily allowed on I-580, where they are normally banned, the CHP said.

BART service was not affected, and trains are running on time, said BART spokesman Linton Johnson. Smoke from the fire never wafted over the system's elevated tracks in the area, he said.

With the busy commute route closed, BART officials are gearing up to haul additional passengers, Johnson said.

"Every car we have available is going to be out there," he said.

Drivers who want to take BART may be able to find parking along I-880 at the Coliseum, South Hayward and San Leandro stations.

The National Response Center, the federal agency which oversees oil and chemical incidents, has been notified.

The incident snarled traffic along heavily traveled I-880, a major north-south commuter route in the East Bay.

The freeway is expected to be closed for at least several hours as authorities check the roadway for any permanent damage.

"Unfortunately, there's going to be some road damage," said CHP Officer Peter Van Eckhardt. "The best guess is that it's not going to be open until later this afternoon."

It was not clear whether the busy freeway would be reopened in time for the evening commute.

The fire was confined to the southbound lanes, but the northbound lanes will need to be cleaned up from gasoline and foam fire retardant that spilled onto those lanes, and inspected before they can be opened to traffic, Van Eckhardt said.

"Hopefully those lanes will open soon," he said.

In April 2007, the fiery crash of a gasoline tanker in the MacArthur Maze led to the collapse of a section of the interchange.

Source Article: San Francisco Chronicle, By Henry K. Lee, Michael Cabanatuan,Matthew B. Stannard, Chronicle Staff Writers