CAJON PASS, CA. (Pain In The Pass) >> A freight train container carrying lithium batteries caught fire Wednesday morning in the Cajon Pass.
The blaze was reported at around 1:15am on June 3, 2026 as the train moved through the Cajon Pass near Cajon Boulevard, according to San Bernardino Fire Department crews.
San Bernardino County Fire officials arrived to find a single railcar cargo container loaded with lithium batteries with flames coming out blocking Swarthout Canyon Road.
It took just over a handful of hours to fully extinguish the flames, which had engulfed the lithium batteries inside the railcar. So, this prompt a hazardous materials response inside the cargo container and temporary closed Cajon Blvd.
The closures were lifted shortly before 11am after authorities determined the restrictions were no longer needed.
The train was moved to a safe place near Interstate 15 to unhook the railcars. A crane will be brought in to lower the container to the ground so crews could finish extinguishment efforts and officials could start their investigation.
Normal train services had resumed.
No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire remain under investigation.
Update According to BNSF railway officials, the fire ignited inside the cargo container while thieves were actively breaking into the container.
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