Truck fire forces temporary offramp closure

By ERIC LINDBERG — Dec. 30, 2009

Authorities temporarily closed down the southbound La Cumbre Road offramp on Highway 101 yesterday after a vehicle caught fire on the highway ramp.

At 11:36 a.m., dispatchers reported a gray Chevrolet pickup truck on the shoulder of the ramp had caught fire. Santa Barbara city fire officials said the truck was heading south from Santa Maria carrying two portable toilets when the driver noted the scent of smoke coming from the engine.

The driver pulled onto the offramp, and by the time firefighters arrived the engine compartment was fully engulfed and flames had started moving into the cab, Capt. Chris Mailes said. Fire crews extinguished the blaze, but the truck was considered a total loss.

The vehicle’s two occupants escaped without injury. Mailes said the fire was linked to an apparent mechanical problem, although the exact cause had yet to be verified.

Caltrans officials closed the offramp and rerouted traffic until the scene was cleared. Although noting that the vehicle fire was a fairly “run-of-the-mill” incident, Mailes said it was encouraging to see the driver pull off the highway rather than stopping along the main lanes of traffic, as it is safer for fire personnel as well as the vehicle occupants.

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