A brush fire triggered by a car fire just south of Menifee scorched five acres Monday, impacting traffic on Interstate 215 as firefighters and Cal Fire aircraft worked to contain it.
The blaze was reported at 1:10 p.m. alongside southbound I-215, near Scott Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said multiple engine crews from Murrieta Fire & Rescue and the county were sent to the location and encountered flames moving briskly to the east through medium vegetation.
Two Cal Fire air tankers and a water-dropping helicopter arrived moments later and began making runs on the brusher, which was not immediately threatening any homes or other structures.
A fire in the engine block of a vehicle that pulled to the side of the freeway triggered the blaze, according to reports from the scene.
California Highway Patrol officers shut down two lanes on southbound I-215 for public safety, forcing motorists into the fast lane, causing major slowing in the area.
The fire was headed toward a burn scar and several roads, potentially hindering its growth potential, officials said.