Casinos in Las Vegas suffered a slight set back recently thanks to the closure of the main highway leading to the city from California. However, while the closure of a portion of I-15 might have had a negative effect on casino revenue, it was worse for those trapped in their cars on the highway.
An overturned semi-truck carrying lithium batteries caught fire near Baker on Friday morning at around 8am. This resulted in the shutdown of both sides of the freeway as crews worked to contain the flames.
Those trapped in the situation faced triple-digit temperatures for hours
Since this is a main route into Las Vegas, traffic built up for miles as authorities worked to clear the obstruction. Those trapped in the situation faced triple-digit temperatures for hours, resulting in 911 calls for heat-related emergencies from drivers. Ambulances and paramedics were dispatched to bring water and aid to those on the freeway.
Understandably, many trapped drivers decided to turn back with no confirmation of when the highway might return to normal service. This included many people who were planning to visit Las Vegas for the weekend to gamble at casinos.
Just after 10am on Saturday, authorities confirmed that firefighters were still struggling with the situation. It wasn’t until Sunday at around 4am that all northbound lanes fully reopened.