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>> PAM: NOW AT EIGHT. FIRE
AND FRUSTRATION ON THE BAY
AREA'S BUSIEST FREEWAY/
SIREN NAT
>> PAM: A BIG RIG BURSTS
INTO FLAMES.
>> ENGULFED
>> PAM: THE BAY BRIDGE
BECOMES A DAYLONG PARKING
LOT.
IT WAS A TOTAL STOP
MUCHO TRAFICO
IT TOOK ABOUT THREE HOURS.
(MALE ANNOUNCER): THIS IS
THE BAY AREA NEWS STATION,
KRON 4 NEWS STARTS NOW.
>> PAM: TONIGHT AT 8--
LANES OF INTERSTATE 80 ARE
BACK OPEN. AFTER A BIG RIG
BURST INTO FLAMES. SHUTTING
DOWN THE FREEWAY. AND
TURNING THE BAY BRIDGE INTO
A PARKING LOT.
>> PAM:
THE CLEAN UP OF THE DEBRIS
FROM THE FIRE TOOK HOURS.
KRON 4'S CHARLES CLIFFORD IS
LIVE ON YERBA BUENA ISLAND
WITH HOW TRAFFIC IS LOOKING
TONIGHT. CHARLES?
>> REPORTER:ACCORDING TO THE
CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL,
AROUND 5:45 MONDAY MORNING,
A BIG RIG TRUCK COMING OFF
THE BAY BRIDGE IN SAN
FRANCISCO GOT A FLAT TIRE
NEAR THE FREMONT STREET
EXIT. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER
TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF
THE ROAD AND GOT OUT TO
CHECK THE TIRE. HE THEN
NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM
THE ENGINE AND WITHIN
MINUTES THE TRUCK WAS
ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE
HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS THE
DRIVER ACTED ACCORDINGLY.
>>HE DID NOTHING WRONG. HE
ACTUALLY DID WHAT HE WAS
SUPPOSED TO DO AND PULLED
OVER ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER
OUT OF THE LANES.
>> REPORTER:THE SAN
FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT
ARRIVED SHORTLY THERE AFTER
AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE
HIGHWAY PATROL HAD TO SHUT
DOWN 2 TO THREE LANES OF
WEST BOUND 80 DURING THE
MORNING COMMUTE. THAT CAUSED
A BACKUP ON BRIDGE THAT
EXTENDED FOR MILES INTO THE
EAST BAY. AS A RESULT, SOME
DRIVERS SAW THEIR NORMAL
COMMUTE TIMES TRIPLE.
>> TAKEN ME ABOUT THREE
HOURS TODAY AND THIS
MORNING. IT HAS BEEN VERY
BACKED UP.
>> REPORTER:CREWS WERE
FINALLY ABLE TO REMOVE THE
TRUCK IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON
AND ALL LANES WERE RE-OPEND
BY 3:20PM,MORE THAN 10
HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
PART OF THE REASON THE
CLEANUP TOOK SO LONG IS THAT
THE FIRE HAD MADE THE TRUCK
TO FRAGILE TO TOW AWAY AND
IT HAD TO BE CAREFULLY
REMOVED FROM THE ROADWAY.