ESCONDIDO – A semi-truck caught fire on State Route 78 in Escondido Tuesday morning, shutting down traffic during rush hour.
The big rig caught fire before 6:26 a.m. on SR-78 east near Nordahl Road, according to California Highway Patrol’s incident information page. Smoke and flames bellowed from the semi as it sat on the shoulder, while traffic inched by. CHP said it appears the driver made it out safely.
A Sig Alert was issued at 6:32 a.m. and all but one eastbound lane was shut down. Commuters were advised to avoid the area.
The cab of the truck was completely destroyed, CHP said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
