The trailer of a big rig truck carrying lettuce burned to the ground late last night near San Miguel, scorching a small patch of grass and closing southbound Highway 101 for an hour.
The fire started at 11:22 p.m. Monday when the big rig blew out its front right tire south of Wellsona Road, according to CDF/County Fire Capt. Matt Jauregui. The truck overheated.
About 20 area fire fighters, six engines and one water tender showed up to battle the ensuing blaze, Jauregui said. The fire also spread to a small patch of stubble along the road, he said.
The California Highway Patrol closed all southbound lanes of Highway 101 for about an hour, Officer Ron Friberg said. The agency opened one lane at 12:30 a.m. and the entire roadway was open at 2:30 a.m., he said.
The truck's driver was not injured.
According to Jauregui, the fire torched 26 pallets of lettuce and caused $84,000 damage to the big rig itself.
County firefighters battled two other blazes early this morning in the North County.
Three fire engines from Monterey County helped fight a fire in a stubble field in the 6900 block of River Road north of Paso Robles just after midnight, Jauregui said.
The blaze burned three acres and knocked down power lines, he said.
Officials believe it was caused by a bird that flew into the power lines.
About two hours later, a power line caught fire in the 900 block of Parkhill Road, east of Santa Margarita Lake, Jauregui said. The one-acre vegetation fire was contained at 2:50 a.m.
Distributed by the Associated Press
