JET-FUEL SPILL CLOSES GOLDEN STATE LENGTHY I-5 BACKUP STRETCHES FOR MILES.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

CASTAIC - A double-tanker overturned and spilled thousands of gallons of highly flammable jet fuel on the Golden State Freeway on Wednesday near the Grapevine, setting the truck on fire and gridlocking northbound traffic throughout much of the day.

The incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. near the boundary of Los Angeles and Kern counties when the truck driver, whose name was not released, lost his brakes as he approached an incline almost two miles from the Grapevine commerce center. The burning fuel caused a small brush fire that complicated the problems.

``It rolled over, and the tank split in two and ruptured, ending up in pieces'' and spilling 8,000 gallons of jet fuel, said Capt. Doug Johnston of the Kern County Fire Department.

The driver suffered only a cut finger, and no other injuries were reported.

But motorists heading north felt the pain. The California Highway Patrol shut down the northbound lanes of the I-5 at Parker Road in Castaic, one of the last northbound off-ramps where food and other services are available.

By 3 p.m., three miles of cars had backed up on both the freeway and The Old Road, which parallels the I-5. Traffic was heavy, too, in Santa Clarita, where motorists who had ignored detour signs left the freeway to find a new route north.

``These people who are sitting on the freeway obviously don't read signs, don't listen to the radio and don't watch television,'' said Officer Wendy Hahn, a CHP spokeswoman. ``We've been turning them around on Parker Road.''

Traffic spilled onto surface streets, plugging up major arteries.

Motorists got out of their cars and walked about on the freeway near Six Flags California's Magic Mountain, trapped in the miles-long backup that didn't begin easing till evening.

Among those caught by the incident were canine rescuers Kelly Burch and Jocelyn Shannon who had driven north from Oceanside to exchange dozens of 38-pound bags of dog food with Wanda Tillman, a rescuer from Acton, and Ardis Munck, a volunteer from Fillmore.

The groups, which help find homes for terriers, Dobermans and German shepherds, often meet farther north in Castaic. It was blind luck that led them to Marie Callender's just south of the closure, Shannon said.

``This seems to happen every single Wednesday for some reason,'' Burch said. ``It slowed us down a bit, but now we've got to head south.''

Kern County firefighters said the tanker stopped burning about 3 p.m., and declared the scene clear. Crews from the state Transportation Department moved in to repair lanes damaged by the fire. A hazardous materials squad moved dirt soaked with the jet fuel to the side of the freeway.

Johnston said there was no damage to the environment as a result of the fuel spill.

``The closest buildings would have been the community of Grapevine, but this incident happened 1 1/2 miles south of them.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Traffic is at a standstill on the northbound lanes of the Golden State Freeway near Castaic on Wednesday after a double-tanker overturned, spilled thousands of gallons of jet fuel and caught fire.

David Crane/Staff Photographer