Crime & Safety
Big Rig Fire Snarls I-5 Traffic In San Diego's North County
CHP and Caltrans were working to clean up the vehicle fire.
ENCINITAS, CA — A semi-truck caught fire, causing multiple lane closures and backing up traffic early Friday morning in northern San Diego County.
The vehicle fire was reported around 12:30 a.m. on southbound Interstate 5, north of Birmingham Drive in Encinitas, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The No. 3 and No. 4 southbound lanes were closed, according to the CHP. The Birmingham off-ramp was also closed.
Find out what's happening in Encinitasfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Two additional vehicles were involved in a collision around 8:30 a.m. near the same area as the vehicle fire but on the opposite side of the freeway. The accident held up traffic for about 30 minutes, according to the CHP.
Traffic was backed up to La Costa Avenue, according to the CHP's Oceanside Area office.
Find out what's happening in Encinitasfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Please plan ahead and allow extra time for your morning commute," CHP officials said.
CHP and Caltrans were working to clean up the area.
As of 10 a.m., crews were still working on cleanup efforts. The No. 3 and No. 4 southbound lanes and off-ramp remain closed.
10:00 AM UPDATE 🚧12/19/25 Crews continue working on cleanup efforts following the vehicle fire on SB I-5 north of Birmingham Dr. #3, #4 lanes and the off-ramp remain closed; HOV, #1 and #2 lanes are open. Here is a live look at the cleanup efforts. pic.twitter.com/TYcrEuZgaX
— CHP Oceanside Area (@CHP_Oceanside) December 19, 2025
7:30 AM UPDATE 🚧 12/19/25 Following the earlier vehicle fire on SB I-5 north of Birmingham Dr, HOV, #1, and #2 lanes remain open; #3, #4 lanes and the off-ramp remain closed. Traffic is backed up to La Costa Ave. Possible alternate routes: Coast Hwy 101 or El Camino Real. pic.twitter.com/4tANk45Xzt
— CHP Oceanside Area (@CHP_Oceanside) December 19, 2025
7:00 AM UPDATE 🚧🔥 Crews continue cleanup following the vehicle fire on SB I-5 north of Birmingham Dr. Only the HOV, #1, and #2 lanes are open. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/qfPfheNy8w
— CHP Oceanside Area (@CHP_Oceanside) December 19, 2025
City News Service contributed to this report.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
