Fire Closes 3 San Diego Freeway Lanes, Backs Up Traffic 15 Miles
A brush fire forced closure of three northbound lanes of the San Diego Freeway 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 Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman.
About 80 firefighters, assisted by five helicopters carrying water buckets, battled the blaze for nearly 2 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 California Highway Patrol spokesman.
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, he said.
Although the fire burned within sight of several exclusive Bel-Air estates homes on nearby ridges, no structures were threatened by the blaze, Acevedo said.
The cause of the fire, which burned 8 acres, was under investigation Friday night, authorities said.
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