Caltrans Trailer Fire Shuts Freeway

A simmering propane gas fire on a Caltrans trailer forced a two-hour shutdown of the westbound Garden Grove Freeway on Tuesday, as firefighters directed a continuous stream of cool water on the rig to avoid an explosion.

The workers had been filling cracks in the concrete near Haster Street about 11:45 a.m. when they realized propane was leaking from two 30-pound tanks on a trailer behind the truck, officials said. The gas is used to heat the tar sealant until it is soft enough to spread.

The escaping propane gas, which is heavier than air, drifted below the tanks to the heating flame and caught fire, said Battalion Chief Nick Booker of the Garden Grove Fire Department.

“It got extremely hot, and it melted all the tires,” Booker said. “Then it melted the valves on the tanks. We had no way to turn the things off.”

Firefighters ordered the closure of all three westbound lanes of the freeway and decided to train hoses on the pressurized tanks until all of the leaking gas was released, Booker said. Keeping cool water on the propane eliminated the chance of an explosion, he said.

“We had to wait it out,” Booker said. “If those tanks would’ve blown, it would put a hole in the freeway 20 feet deep. Propane is extremely explosive and forceful.”

California Highway Patrol officials reopened the freeway at about 1:40 p.m. The $45,000 Caltrans truck was nearly destroyed.