brush fire

Roadside Grass Fire Quickly Halted By Firefighters

A brush fire alongside SR-78.
CalTrans

A small roadside brush fire in San Marcos was halted in less than 15 minutes Tuesday by the quick work of firefighters.

Grass ignited for unknown reasons alongside eastbound State Route 78 near the Interstate 15 interchange at about 5:15 p.m.

A CalTrans camera captured a thick plume of smoke rising as the first firefighters arriving at the scene about 5 minutes later. The California Highway Patrol listed both Escondido and San Marcos fire departments as responding to the scene.

Crews doused an about 20-foot patch of smoldering grass until flames began to temper. In less than 15 minutes, the smoke plume was diminished.

Traffic in eastbound lanes of SR-78 was halted for about a half-hour while crews tended to the fire. Firefighters were expected to remain on scene to mop up. The scene was expected to be cleared by 6 p.m.

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