UPDATE: Both lanes on southbound Highway 101 through Nipomo and into Santa Maria are now open and traffic is flowing more smoothly, according to a CHP spokesman.

Caltrans reopened the slow lane of Highway 101 near the Santa Maria Speedway about 9:45 a.m. It had been closed as crews cleaned up debris from a big-rig fire that happened late Thursday.

In that incident, reported at 10 p.m., a 42-year-old man was driving a big rig south on the highway when a rear tire on his trailer caught fire and spread to the trailer before he was able to extinguish it.

The driver unhooked the trailer and was able to pull his rig away from it, according to a CHP news release, but the contents were destroyed. The driver was not injured.

The slow lane was closed throughout the night and into this morning.

UPDATE: A traffic collision on southbound Highway 101 in Nipomo has caused minor injuries, according to CHP, though it’s unknown how many people were injured in the crash.

The collision was initially reported about 8 a.m. and involved five vehicles, according to the CHP traffic information website http://cad.chp.ca.gov/Traffic.aspx.

While it appears that the highway lanes are reopened in the area of Highway 101 and Tefft Street, the slow lane is closed a little further south on the freeway near the Santa Maria Speedway, and traffic is backed up in that area.

ORIGINAL STORY: The fast lane of southbound Highway 101 in Nipomo is currently blocked because of a crash involving five vehicles, according to CHP.

Traffic had already been slow in the area because of a big-rig fire on the highway last night. That incident was reported about 10 p.m., but the CHP traffic information website shows that a lane closure and clean-up is still taking place this morning.

The slow lane of southbound Highway 101 was closed about 4 a.m. today near the Santa Maria Speedway, located on Hutton Road. It appears the lane will remain closed for another hour.

The traffic crash this morning involving five vehicles at Highway 101 at the Tefft Street offramp was reported about 8 a.m. It is unknown if anyone was injured. A number of tow trucks have been called to the scene, according to the CHP website.