News Now: Highway 20 reopens after tanker fire

A tanker-truck fire Tuesday shut down a 17-mile stretch of Highway 20 in the Coast Range foothills of Colusa County, forcing lengthy detours into the evening.

Caltrans reopened the highway Tuesday night, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The blaze broke out around 9:50 a.m. in the Mitchell Flats area, just east of Highway 16 near the Lake County border. A 2007 Peterbilt tanker owned by Ukiah-based Rinehart Oil Inc. was carrying about 7,500 gallons of kerosene when the driveline snapped and punctured the tank, according to Officer Bob Kays of the California Highway Patrol. A spark then ignited the fuel.

The driver, Dennis R. Moody, 59, of Willits, pulled the big rig to the shoulder as his payload went up in flames. Moody, who had received the fuel at a Sacramento depot and was headed to Ukiah, fled the burning wreck without injury.

"You can always buy another truck, but you can't say the same about a human being," said Mike Babcock, a Rinehart sales manager.

Smoke was visible for at least 30 miles and spot grass fires were reported near the accident. Fire departments from Williams and other towns responded, containing the flames in about two hours, CHP reported.

CHP and Williams police blocked westbound Highway 20 at E Street in Williams and diverted eastbound traffic onto Highway 16 near the Lake County border. Officers reopened the eastbound lane of the highway at 12:30 p.m. to let through drivers stranded by the fire. Other drivers were forced onto time-consuming detours to reach Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties in the west.

Shoulder repairs may be needed because of the flames, but the main roadway apparently escaped major damage that would require a long closure, according to Caltrans spokeswoman Rochelle Jenkins.