Big-rig fire, BART delay cleared up after slow East Bay commute

Passengers were delayed at the San Leandro BART station this morning due to equipment problems between the Fruitvale and Coliseum stations. Passengers were delayed at the San Leandro BART station this morning due to equipment problems between the Fruitvale and Coliseum stations. Photo: Courtesy Kaushal Vaddiraj Photo: Courtesy Kaushal Vaddiraj Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Big-rig fire, BART delay cleared up after slow East Bay commute 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

A big rig that caught fire on an East Bay freeway blocked lanes for hours and caused headaches for commuters Tuesday morning as BART riders coped with major delays on the Fremont and Dublin lines due to equipment problems, officials said.

The first reports of the fire came in around 5:10 a.m. on the westbound side of Interstate 580 just east of North Flynn Road in the Livermore area, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Though first reported as a small brake fire, the truck, which was hauling a full load of cotton clothing, was soon fully engulfed.

Just after 6 a.m., the CHP issued a Sig Alert because the blaze was blocking the two right lanes as firefighters tried to put it out.

One of the lanes reopened around 7:45 a.m. and the wreckage was completely cleared from the freeway around 10:40 a.m.

Around 6:30 a.m., BART officials reported a major delay on the Fremont and Dublin lines due to equipment problems between the Fruitvale and Coliseum stations.

The issue was fixed by about 7:15 a.m., officials said, but major delays persisted and passengers were advised to seek alternate means of transportation.

Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfkale