(KTNV) — As of 6:18 p.m., U.S. 95 in Nye County has reopened after a lithium battery fire, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.
The fire has been extinguished, but the highway is expected to remain closed until a hazmat crew clears the area.
That's according to updated information from Nevada State Police - Highway Patrol. As of 2:15 p.m., U.S. 95 remains closed between state Route 160 and Mercury.
All southbound traffic will be diverted to SR-160 and into Pahrump, state police said. Northbound traffic is being turned around at Indian Springs.
As for when drivers can expect the highway to reopen, state police say they expect an update from the Nevada Department of Transportation around 7 p.m.
The crash was first reported just after 12 a.m. on Tuesday when two semi-trucks side-swiped each other, according to Nevada State Police. One truck was carrying lumber; the other was carrying lithium batteries. Both drivers sustained minor injuries.
This video shows the fire on Highway 95 after the crash:
"The fire has been suppressed," Pahrump Valley Fire & Rescue Chief Scott Lewis stated. "However, cleanup and road inspections for damage assessment will still need to be done and the highway remains closed at this time."
The incident is reminiscent of a similar crash on Interstate 15 south of Las Vegas that caused a prolonged closure of the freeway over the weekend of July 26. Travelers who spoke to Channel 13 after that incident described it as a nightmare of being stuck on the freeway for up to 15 hours.
Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV1) argued both incidents underscore the need for federal regulation around the transport of lithium batteries.
In a statement to media, Titus' office claimed one of the semi-trucks involved in the collision was carrying 31,000 pounds of lithium-ion batteries.
Just last week, the congresswoman introduced legislation called the Thermal Runaway Reduction Act. That legislation would require new testing for lithium-ion batteries to account for the potential impact of transportation accidents. It would also require federal regulations that would mandate lithium-ion batteries can only be 30% charged during ground transportation. Titus' office notes this is "similar to what is required for air transportation."
"Without better regulation of the transport of these batteries, it is only a matter of time before these accidents and resulting fires take human lives," Titus said in a prepared statement.
"Furthermore, the resulting road closures and the amount of water needed to extinguish these fires have significant impacts on resources in our region. Congress needs to act quickly to enact life-saving regulations."
Editor's note: This report initially state the collision involved a vehicle and a semi-truck, based on information from Nye County authorities. It has since been updated to reflect new information from Nevada State Police.
