Big rig fire closes lanes of southbound 15

A big rig fire shut down lanes of southbound Interstate 15 near Fallbrook Monday afternoon, a fire official said.

It all began a little before 1:25 p.m., when the big rig's driver realized a rear tire was on fire and pulled over on southbound I-15 just north of Mission Road, according to North County FIre Department Capt. John Choi.

After the rig came to a stop, the entire trailer became engulfed in flames.

The driver was able to safely exit the rig, and North County fire crews arrived to put out the blaze, which extended into nearby vegetation before being contained at 1:47 p.m., Choi said.

A Cal Fire San Diego crew also assisted in stopping the blaze.

Three lanes of the southbound freeway were blocked until about 2:15 p.m.

The rig's trailer was empty at the time of the fire, and the driver was uninjured.

Will Fritz can be reached by email at [email protected].