A brush fire scorched two acres along northbound Interstate 15 near Friars Road Monday.
The vegetation fire occurred just before 8 a.m. in an area that's known to be at risk, San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Steve Salaz said.
"Freeways are notorious for having vegetation fires," Salaz said.
Flames were visible from I-15 and even Mission Valley as the fire moved up the hill toward The Village Mission Valley condo complex.
An SDFD helicopter dropped water on the flames to stop their advance as ground crews hiked up the steep terrain along the shoulder of the highway.
Salaz credited the department's helicopter for helping control the forward advance of the fire in minutes.
"To have a helicopter come and take the head out of the fire, it's invaluable," he said.
Local
No evacuations were called but had the fire been sparked later in the day, after the sun dried out the brush and grass, it may have been necessary.
There was no threat to the nearby San Diego Gas & Electric power lines.
SDFD crews planned to stay at the scene for several hours to dig a line around the fire to prevent any rekindle or flare-ups.
