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Firefighters battle brush fires in El Cajon

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Update, May 23, 3:20 p.m.

— All lanes on Interstate 8 in El Cajon have been reopened and firefighters have finished mopping up brush fires between Second Street and Mollison Avenue, according to Heartland Fire and Rescue Department.

“We knocked it down fairly quickly, said Monica Zech, public information officer for Heartland, adding that crews stayed for a couple of hours to mop up and watch for hot spots as the wind had picked up.

The first brush fire was reported at 12:04 p.m. and the fire department believes it was started by sparks from a vehicle’s catalytic converter, reported Zech. The driver of the vehicle may have pulled off the road a few times, causing sparks to ignite brush in more than one place, she said, and left, unaware that the brush caught on fire.

No structures were damaged and no homes threatened, said the PIO officer. The Sig Alert was issued due to the smoke. Eight crews were on the scene from Heartland, Cal Fire, and fire departments from Lakeside, Viejas, and Sycuan.

Original Story:

A Sig Alert has been issued for westbound Interstate 8 where firefighters are battling brush fires between Second and Mollison streets in El Cajon, according to California Highway Patrol.

CHP has closed some of the interstate lanes in that area.

Two brush fires were reported at 12:06 p.m. near the Mollison off-ramp.

Check back for updates on these fires.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to comment on this website.

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