After I-80 crashes and big rig fires, Placer County calls for highway safety summit

A big rig fire closed westbound Interstate 80 east of Colfax on Thursday morning. This fire comes days after a massive crash on I-80 involving a dozen cars and big rigs that shut down part of the interstate for more than 12 hours.

Whether it's brakes failing or starting a fire, Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson says it's an issue that needs to be addressed.

"They're driving too fast. Those vehicles are huge," she said. "They can take out 10 cars, as we saw on Monday, in a couple of seconds."

Gustafson is now calling on California's Highway Patrol (CHP), Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (Cal Fire), the U. S. Forest Service and the trucking industry to come together to find ways to reduce serious crashes and fires along I-80.

One of those ways is enforcement.

"This area between Truckee and Auburn is unique and has unique challenges," CHP Gold Run Lieutenant Blayne Kilkenny said.

The CHP says the big rig caught fire Monday due to issues with its brakes. No injuries were reported.

Cal Fire crews responded quickly, putting out a small brush fire that spread from the trailer. That fast response is critical this time of year.

"In the summertime when the fuel is receptive and ready for a spark, it could burn down an entire community," Cal Fire Chief Nick Salas said.

Kilkenny says they can't be everywhere all at once, but they're starting several campaigns to monitor trucks to make sure they're checking their brakes before they head down from the summit.

"And they're looking for violations that are causing some of these crashes," Kilkenny noted.

Gustafson plans to host a safety summit in September to begin discussing new enforcement and infrastructure ideas.

"It's just a matter of time until we see a death or a catastrophic wildfire," she said.