100-acre fire closes I-5 ramps at Vista del Lago

A water tanker drops water on a rapidly spreading brush fire in the Angeles National Forest near Interstate 5. Dan Watson / The Signal.
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A big-rig fire Friday afternoon rapidly grew to a 100-acre brush fire east of Interstate 5 at Vista del Lago Road. 

Fire containment stood at 0% with the potential of growing to 400 acres, as of 2:45 p.m., according to Supervisor Melanie Flores with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which is assisting the U.S. Forest Service fight the fire. 

Four water tankers, four helicopters and several fire crews on the ground are responding to the rapidly spreading fire, said Andrew Mitchell, a public information officer with the U.S. Forest Service. 

A helicopter responds to a 100-acre fire along Interstate 5 at Vista del Lago Road Friday, Sept. 17. Dan Watson / The Signal.

“We’re trying to gather as much resources as we can,” he said, noting the brush and chaparral in the area are ripe to burn. “Our moisture levels are just way down there.” 

The California Highway Patrol has closed the northbound and southbound ramps at Vista Del Lago Road, as well as the outer two lanes of northbound Interstate 5 near the burn area, according to Office Stephan Brandt of the California Highway Patrol Traffic Management Office. 

Firefighters advance on a 100-acre brush fire, which had the potential to grow to 400 acres as of Friday afternoon. Dan Watson / The Signal.

He did not have an estimate for the duration of the closures. 

The Route Fire burned more than 460 acres last Saturday, Sept. 11 just south of Vista del Lago Road at Templin Highway on both sides of Interstate 5. 

This is a breaking news story. The Signal will update this story when more details become available. 

Fire jumped from a semi-truck to nearby brush Friday afternoon. Dan Watson / The Signal.

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