Hauler Carrying Six Cars Catches Fire, Hwy. 154 Closed Overnight

A hauler carrying six vehicles caught fire on Highway 154 near Lake Cachuma late Tuesday night, causing emergency personnel to shut down the highway while fire crews knocked out the blaze, which spread to the vehicles on the tractor trailer and ignited a small brushfire on the side of the road.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesperson Captain Scott Safechuck said the call came in around 9:45 p.m., and three engines were sent to the scene. Fire crews found the main hauler had caught fire, and it had spread to at least five of the six cars on the trailer. A swath of vegetation stretching about 50 feet along the road had also caught fire, but crews were able to put out the flames without any further damage.

Safechuck announced via Twitter that the incident had been handled by 11 p.m., though the highway remained closed throughout the night while the road could be cleared. The highway was reopened shortly before 7 a.m. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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