LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The truck crash that led to massive delays on the I-15 last weekend happened in a remote stretch of highway in the middle of the desert.
But we at Channel 13 wanted to know — what if that truck had overturned in Las Vegas? What if it had crashed on the I-15 on the part that runs adjacent to the Strip?
To get that answer, we went to Thomas Touchstone, deputy chief for the Clark County Fire Department. What he told us — there isn't an easy answer.
"We've spent a lot of time in the last six months discussing lithium-ion battery fires," said Touchstone. "They're becoming a little challenging."
Touchstone said responders would have to look at multiple options if a large fire broke out in a populated area of Clark County. They'd want to try to suffocate the fire, but that could be tricky.
The use of water would likely lead to toxic runoff and other problems. If push came to shove, Touchstone said it's possible — in that hypothetical situation — that the burning batteries could be loaded onto a vehicle and carried to a safer place.
RELATED STORY | Travelers frustrated after dealing with I-15 backups over the weekend
But that would be tricky, too, Touchstone said during an interview on the Harmon overpass above the I-15, a short walk from the Strip.
"You drop that right out here, on the freeway right below us, we're not going to sit there and let it burn for 48 hours," he said.
In fact, according to California officials, that truck fire near Barstow, Calif., was still burning as of Tuesday afternoon, days after it started.
Officials said Tuesday the truck's load was headed to Wisconsin. The name of the driver of the truck was also released Tuesday: Thanh Tran, a 57-year-old man from Westminster, Calif.
WATCH | How emergency responders prepare and train for possible lithium-ion battery fires in populated areas like Las Vegas.
