UPDATE: Southbound I-5 has reopened at Taft Highway
KERN COUNTY — Southbound Interstate 5 reopened at State Route 119, also known as Taft Highway, shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday after a semi-truck fire and roadside brush fire shut all lanes for nearly seven hours.
BakersfieldNow reported the reopening at 5:05 p.m. Caltrans' 5:31 p.m. statewide conditions report no longer listed the southbound closure at SR-119, independently confirming that the restriction had been removed from the official highway advisory.
The southbound incident began at about 10:21 a.m. and was listed as non-injury in the CHP information cited by the station. Reopening the lanes does not establish the fire's cause, identify the cargo or mean every residual delay immediately cleared.
A separate northbound big-rig fire is restricting traffic near Lebec
Caltrans reported at 5:31 p.m. that northbound I-5 traffic was reduced to two lanes from 1.3 miles north to 5 miles north of the Los Angeles–Kern county line because of a big-rig fire.
BakersfieldNow, citing CHP's public incident page, said the fire was reported at 2:42 p.m. near Lebec Road and that the right two northbound lanes were closed for recovery and cleanup.
The official Caltrans report describes a lane reduction, not a full northbound closure. Drivers can continue through the area but should expect congestion and follow posted controls.
These are two different truck fires
The reopened southbound incident occurred near SR-119 west of Bakersfield. The active restriction involves northbound lanes near Lebec and the county line. They happened at different times, in opposite directions and at different locations.
Nothing in the reviewed sources establishes a shared cause, operator, trucking company or cargo. Combining the two incidents into one fire or implying that the southbound closure moved to Lebec would be inaccurate.
The southbound lanes are open. The northbound lane reduction remains the current travel concern, alongside Caltrans' separate high-wind advisory for campers, trailers and permit loads south of Kern County.
The northbound cause, cargo and injury status remain unconfirmed
Officials had not publicly identified the trucking company, driver or cargo involved in the northbound fire, explained what ignited it or reported an injury status in the sources reviewed for this update.
This report does not claim that hazardous materials were involved, that the two fires are connected or that any person committed a traffic or safety violation. None of those points has been established.
Recovery and cleanup can keep lanes closed after flames are extinguished. The lack of a posted reopening time does not establish that the restriction will last through the night.
What drivers should do
Motorists should slow down well before stopped traffic, leave shoulders open for fire engines, patrol vehicles and tow equipment, and avoid distracted driving. Turning around, crossing a median or following another vehicle through a restricted area can endanger responders and create another incident.
Caltrans QuickMap provides traffic speeds, closure markers and roadway cameras. The state's telephone road-information line is 1-800-427-7623. A passenger can check conditions during a trip; drivers should not handle a phone while moving.
Anyone planning a northbound trip over the Grapevine should check official conditions first. A newer Caltrans entry, roadway sign or instruction from personnel at the scene takes precedence over this time-stamped report.
What is confirmed—and what remains unknown
Confirmed as of 5:31 p.m. Wednesday: the southbound I-5 closure at SR-119 had ended, and Caltrans listed northbound traffic near the Los Angeles–Kern county line as reduced to two lanes because of a separate big-rig fire.
Not established in the reviewed sources: the northbound fire's ignition cause, the driver or trucking company, the cargo, whether anyone was injured or when every northbound lane will reopen. Those unknowns should not be filled with assumptions or social-media claims.
What’s the Scoop With Broach will update this alert when Caltrans removes the northbound restriction or when CHP or fire officials release a material change. The featured image is an authentic file photograph of a California Highway Patrol vehicle; it does not depict either September 9 fire, affected drivers or responders.
Sources and further reading
Caltrans: Current Interstate 5 highway conditions ↗
Caltrans QuickMap: Live traffic, closures and cameras ↗
BakersfieldNow: Semi-truck fire shuts down southbound I-5 near Taft Highway ↗
BakersfieldNow: Northbound I-5 lanes near Lebec impacted after separate semi-truck fire ↗
CHP: Bakersfield-area traffic incident information ↗
Wikimedia Commons: California Highway Patrol vehicle photograph ↗