VIDEO: A big rig trailer caught fire early Monday morning, sparking a brush fire and causing a traffic nightmare on the 5 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley. The incident was reported just before 5 a.m. on the southbound side of the freeway just north of the 405 Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol. A trailer was burning on the right shoulder of the 5, causing the closure of the right three lanes, CHP stated. The flames eventually engulfed the trailer and spread to the nearby brush, the Los Angeles Fire Department stated in an alert a short time later The fire involved at least a half-acre of brush and grass that is adjacent to the freeway, the fire department said in the 5:22 a.m. update. Video showed cars passing by as flames burned up the side of the hill. Aerial video from Sky5 showed firefighters dousing the big rig and putting a stop to the spreading fire. The big rig driver was able to safely separate the truck from the trailer and was uninjured, the Fire Department said. Traffic delays appeared to be extensive for commuters in the San Fernando Valley, particularly in the Granada Hills area.
