A fire that erupted Monday in a storm canal adjacent to Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore prompted a road closure and caused heavy smoke to overlay the freeway, possibly contributing to a traffic collision.
The blaze was reported at 3:18 p.m. in the area of Grape Street and Railroad Canyon Road, along the northbound side of I-15, according to the California Highway Patrol and Riverside County Fire Department.
Fire officials said multiple engine crews were sent to the location and encountered thick smoke in the canal, where a spot fire was burning.
A motorist exiting northbound I-15 at Railroad Canyon was involved in a crash about the time firefighters arrived, though no injuries were reported by the CHP.
Black smoke billowed over the freeway, causing some visibility restrictions, though the fire was not directly underneath it, according to reports from the scene.
CHP officers shut down the Railroad Canyon off-ramp at 4 p.m. for public safety.
Sheriff’s deputies additionally closed Grape, between Railroad Canyon to the north and Malaga Road to the south, enabling fire crews to use the entire stretch of road for operations.
There was no immediate word regarding what might have triggered the blaze.