A trash truck traveling southbound on Interstate 5 in the San Fernando Valley caught fire on Tuesday afternoon, prompting multiple lane closures.
The incident was reported at about 3:10 p.m. on the southbound 5 Freeway near the Osborne Street on-ramp in Arleta, according to California Highway Patrol logs. The agency identified the truck as a city of Los Angeles sanitation truck. The vehicle had “heavy flames” underneath it, and the driver was seen outside it with a fire extinguisher, according to the agency.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the CHP said multiple drivers stuck in traffic were making U-turns to go the wrong way and exit off the on-ramp, according to the logs.
A CHP log from about 3:45 p.m. said all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 were closed. By about 4:15 p.m., it began reopening some lanes.
As of 4:20 p.m., several lanes remained closed.
Tuesday is election day, meaning that the traffic jams could have caused headaches for some last-minute voters. In California, any voter who is in line at 8 p.m., when polls are scheduled to close, is allowed to vote.
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