Trailer catches fire on Hwy 99 in Ceres after coming loose, being dragged by truck
A trailer carrying frozen food caught fire late Thursday night on northbound Highway 99 near Ceres after it partially separated from the tractor pulling it and was dragged along the roadway, fire officials said.
Capt. Joe Spani of the Modesto Fire Department said the tractor-trailer combination was traveling north when the trailer came undone from the tractor.
“Safety mechanisms prevented the trailer from fully separating, but the trailer dragged behind the truck until just past the Fourth Street exit in Ceres,” Spani said.
Authorities believe the fire started because the trailer scraped along the highway.
Fire crews arrived around 10 p.m. and found the trailer fully involved in flames while still attached to the tractor.
“Firefighters were able to open the rear doors of the trailer to access the cargo area and extinguish the fire,” he said.
Because there are no fire hydrants along the highway, firefighters faced challenges maintaining a water supply. Two 3,000-gallon water tenders from Stanislaus Consolidated Fire District and Westport Fire District responded to provide enough water to control the blaze.
Crews spent close to an hour containing the fire and several additional hours performing overhaul due to the amount of freight inside the trailer.
During cleanup, equipment was used to rip open the side of the trailer to remove the remaining contents, allowing firefighters to extinguish lingering hot spots.
The fire prompted the closure of all northbound lanes of Highway 99 near Whitmore Avenue while emergency crews worked at the scene. The California Highway Patrol advised drivers to use alternate routes such as Mitchell Road. All lanes later reopened as of Friday morning.
The fire did not spread beyond the trailer, Spani said.
No other vehicles were involved and no injuries were reported.
This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 10:34 AM.
