MOJAVE, Calif., On August 3rd, 2024, at 4:07 p.m. Kern County firefighters were dispatched to a reported semi on fire just east of the Mojave Weigh Station. While firefighters responded, new information stated that the fire had spread into the grass and that the semi was hauling a hazardous material. KCFD’s Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Response Team was requested as well as more equipment for the vegetation fire. Firefighters arrived on scene to find a semi truck on the shoulder, fully involved in flames, and a half acre of grass and brush on fire. The firefighters, seeing that the semi was destroyed and the driver was safe, prioritized the vegetation fire as it spread away from the highway. The Battalion Chief coordinated with the Hazmat Team, learning that the semi’s cargo was fertilizer and that the smoke would be toxic. To protect individuals from the harmful smoke that filled the roadway, CHP was tasked with shutting down Highway 58. 

The fast attack on the vegetation fire allowed firefighters to quickly stop its progress, keeping it small in size. BLM, USFS, and Cal City firefighters assisted. Helicopter 408 came in for a timely water drop. Hazmat 65 arrived and extinguished the semi fire and burning fertilizer. One KCFD firefighter suffered minor injuries in the firefight and was transported by ambulance to an area hospital. 

No other injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is undetermined.