UPDATE (2:50 p.m.) – CHP says Highway 41 is shut down in both directions at Highway 46 and 33 as they try to clear the scene. The highway could be closed for four hours.
UPDATE (1:45 p.m.) – CAL FIRE reports forward progress has been stopped on the fire. It burned between seven and 10 acres, and it’s now 40 percent contained.
CAL FIRE says it is releasing aircraft from the incident.
Firefighters will still be at the scene mopping up and monitoring the fire for a couple hours.
CHP and firefighters say the driver of the truck that caught fire was not injured. They’re investigating the possibility that the fire was caused by a mechanical issue.
#CottonwoodFire pic.twitter.com/Pt8akpmkCj
— CAL FIRE SLO (@CALFIRE_SLO) September 27, 2018
UPDATE (1:30 p.m.) – CAL FIRE reports the fire has burned approximately seven acres of grass.
ORIGINAL STORY – Firefighters responded to a semi-truck fire that spread to the vegetation along Highway 41 near the San Luis Obispo-Kern County line on Thursday.
The fire was reported at about 12:30 p.m. in the area of the Cottonwood Pass.
The California Highway Patrol reported heavy black smoke in the traffic lanes as a result of the fire.
CAL FIRE said the flames had spread to the side of the road and burned approximately two acres of vegetation as of 1 p.m.
This is a developing story and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.
