Vehicle fire, hazmat spill near Orcutt leads to road closure

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A portion of Telephone Road near Orcutt was closed Friday afternoon after a vehicle caught fire and spilled acidic fertilizer in the roadway.

It happened around 2:15 p.m. near the intersection of Telephone Road and Cambridge Way.

According to the California Highway Patrol online incident log, a Ford F-250 caught fire in the roadway and spread to nearby brush.

The driver was able to get out safely and informed first responders that the pickup was hauling N Phuric acid which is used as a fertilizer for crops. About 150 gallons of the N-pHURIC acid fertilizer spilled onto the roadway, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason.

The spill of the corrosive material led to the closure of Telephone Road in the immediate area of the fire.

Telephone Road was closed between Clark Avenue and Prell Road while crews battled the vehicle fire and worked to contain the spill.

The fire was eventually put out and a hazmat crew was called in to assist with the spill cleanup.

No injuries were reported, Eliason said.

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