A fire that erupted Tuesday in the grass median of Interstate 15 in Wildomar scorched roughly a quarter-acre before it was stopped, snarling rush-hour traffic on the busy corridor, where one lane was shut down for public safety.
The non-injury blaze was reported at 4:28 p.m. close to the northbound side of the freeway median, between Railroad Canyon and Bundy Canyon roads, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Multiple Riverside County Fire Department engine crews were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate to the north.
CHP officers closed the fast lane on the northbound side of I-15 to facilitate the firefighting operation.
Crews quickly deployed hoses and stopped the grass fire’s forward rate of spread at 4:45 p.m., according to reports from the scene. At 4:50 p.m., the blaze was declared fully contained.
Traffic was creeping through the area as a result of the emergency activity.
The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known.