A brush fire broke out near Ramona on Friday, blackening about five open acres and resulting in a highway closure but posing no structural threats.
The blaze erupted about 3:30 p.m. alongside state Route 78, near Sunset Oaks Drive in the rural Witch Creek area, according to Cal Fire, which was posting updates on its Twitter account.
Ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers had the spread of the flames halted within 90 minutes, said Cal Fire Capt. Kendal Bortisser. Firefighters planned to remain at the scene into the early evening to make sure all hot spots were doused.
The blaze forced the closure of Route 78 between Ramona and Santa Ysabel. Around 5:20 p.m., Caltrans reported that the highway was reopened — with one-way traffic control — and warned motorists to expect lengthy delays.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
