Local News in Brief : Brush Fire Disrupts Freeway Traffic
A brush fire forced the closure of three northbound lanes of the San Diego Freeway on Friday afternoon, causing rush-hour traffic to back up nearly 15 miles, authorities said.
The fire erupted about noon near Moraga Drive, east of the freeway and south of the Sepulveda Pass summit, said Greg Acevedo, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. About 80 firefighters, assisted by five helicopters, battled the blaze for nearly two hours, Acevedo said.
Three of the five northbound lanes were closed about 12:30 p.m. to allow access by fire engines and equipment, said Richard Perez, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol. The lanes remained closed during cleanup operations. Before they were reopened about 6 p.m., traffic had backed up as far as Hawthorne.
There were no injuries and no structures were threatened. The cause of the fire, which burned eight acres, was under investigation.
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