Big rig fire causes traffic snarl on 5 Freeway in San Fernando Valley

A big rig that caught fire on northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway caused an hours-long traffic backup in the San Fernando Valley on Sunday. 

The incident was reported at around 5:30 p.m. on lanes just south of Lankershim Boulevard in the Sun Valley area, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. 

For unknown reasons, the semi-truck erupted in flames and firefighters had to call additional LAFD personnel to the scene to assist with applying additional water. 

Though aerial footage at around 6:25 p.m. showed that the fire had been mostly extinguished, several lanes were closed by the incident. 

California Highway Patrol officers issued a SigAlert for northbound lanes south of Lankershim. They had initially closed the three rightmost lanes for at least an hour as officers worked to clear the roadway of the hazard. However, as of 11 p.m., two of those lanes remained closed to all traffic. 

It's unclear exactly when they would reopen. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No injuries were reported.