Vehicle fire in eastbound bore of Caldecott Tunnel extinguished; lanes reopened
Eastbound lanes on Highway 24 at the Caldecott Tunnel were blocked for part of the Wednesday evening commute after a vehicle fire in one of the bores.
Shortly before 4:30 p.m., the Oakland Fire Department announced that a vehicle had caught fire in bore #1, one of two bores that carries traffic eastbound from Oakland to Orinda. The fire was approximately 400 feet into the tunnel.
In a subsequent update, firefighters said California Highway Patrol, Caltrans and a tow truck are on scene.
Spokesperson Michael Hunt of the Oakland Fire Department told CBS News Bay Area that the fire was extinguished shortly before 5 p.m.
"The fire is now out, through a great coordinated effort," Hunt said, crediting the effort of multiple agencies.
According to Hunt, the fire involved one vehicle. According to the CHP, the driver and child were taken out of the tunnel to safety by a passing motorist.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
All lanes were reopened around 7:20 p.m.
