Fire Burns 80,000 Pounds Of Watermelons On Interstate 10 In Indio

INDIO, CA — A semi-truck hauling 80,000 pounds of watermelons caught fire early Wednesday morning in Indio on Interstate 10, leaving crews with a very messy cleanup job.

No injuries were reported in blaze that began at 4:15 a.m. on westbound I-10, just east of the Chiriaco Summit, according to a California Highway Patrol preliminary report.

The driver made it out of the truck, and Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department crews extinguished the blaze.

But the semi and its load were destroyed, and the mess was taking several hours to mop up.

The fire, subsequent cleanup and tow caused one lane of traffic to shut down, according to Caltrans.