Van carrying fireworks goes up in flames along busy highway

A van carrying fireworks erupted into flames along a main highway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The white van transporting fireworks caught fire on the shoulder of Interstate 15 near the Nevada state line, the California Highway Patrol in Barstow said.

The incident Thursday afternoon briefly closed all southbound I-15 lanes and slowed traffic to a crawl.

As weather heats up, so does fireworks danger

Jay Rutherford of the Nashville-based band Los Colognes posted a picture of the burned out van on Instagram. The group was traveling from Las Vegas to Los Angeles for a concert.

“Sometimes you eat the bar and sometimes the bar eats you … The road can kill ya,” he posted.

The driver of the van reportedly fled the scene and has not been found. It’s unclear what type of fireworks were in the van.

Cal Fire says illegal fireworks include bottle rockets, roman candles and “other types that explode, go into the air, or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner.”

The agency has issued a warning related to the ongoing California drought and the threat of wildfires started by fireworks.

Officials are urging those celebrating July 4th to attend public firework displays.

CNN’s Ben Brumfield contributed to this report