Crime & Safety

Car Fire Causes Delays on I-880 Near Whipple Road

No injuries were reported. All lanes were reopened by 10 a.m., according to fire officials.

A car fire that spewed smoke and blocked traffic on Interstate 880 near Whipple Road this morning has been extinguished, according to the Hayward Fire Department.

According to Capt. Thor Paulsen, fire crews responded to the scene at about 9:15 a.m. He said the car experienced an engine fire and was leaking fuel, which also caused a blaze underneath the vehicle.

“All eight lanes had a lot of smoke,” Paulsen said.

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He said the blaze snarled traffic for about 10 minutes and caused delays.

Though the fire occurred on the southbound freeway shoulder, two southbound lanes were blocked, according to media reports.

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Hayward firefighters, assisted by the Alameda County Fire Department, contained the fire by 9:28 a.m. and plugged the car’s fuel line, Paulsen said.

He said the fire occurred near a creek bed. Due to environmental concerns, firefighters did not want to use copious amounts of foam and instead “dumped a crud-load of water on it,” Paulsen said.

The vehicle was towed and all lanes reopened shortly before 10 a.m.

No injuries were reported.


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