'Significant Traffic Delays' Caused By Garbage Truck Fire On I-680

CONCORD, CA — A garbage truck caught fire Tuesday on Interstate 680 at state Highway 242, causing a traffic jam for nearly seven hours, the California Highway Patrol reported.

All lanes were fully reopened shortly before 4 p.m., CHP told Patch.

The blaze involved a fully loaded garbage truck and was reported at 9:14 a.m. on northbound I-680 south of state Highway 242 in Concord, just north of Monument Boulevard. For safety reasons, CHP initially closed all northbound lanes and three southbound lanes.

For a time, CHP recommended avoiding the Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill area if possible.

Shortly before 12:30 p.m., CHP reported all southbound lanes were reopened but the right and center lanes remained blocked in the northbound direction.

Con Fire responded at 9 a.m. to the garbage truck fire with CNG —compressed natural gas — on board. Flames from the fire threatened vegetation and homes on the other side of a freeway sound wall so crews stood by and provided structure protection to the neighborhood, Con Fire said.

"All of northbound 242 is closed," Con Fire said in a social media post at 12:21 p.m. "Two northbound 680 lanes north of Treat Blvd. are open. ... We apologize for the inconvenience, as drivers will experience significant traffic delays."

As of 1:30 p.m., two northbound lanes had since reopened but the two right lanes were still closed with no estimated time for reopening.

"Motorists are advised to expect delays and to use alternate routes to avoid the area," according to 511SFBay.org. "There is no estimated time to reopen the roadway."

The cause of the fire was under investigation.