Brush fire near 118, 5 freeways in Mission Hills forces shutdown, traffic chaos

A brush fire in Mission Hills Sunday afternoon forced the brief shutdown of the nearby 118 Freeway, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The fire started at just past 12:30 p.m., Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. Flames could be seen on the northwest corner of the 118 and 5 freeway junction and on a freeway median. After several water drops, Humphrey said the fire was contained in about 45 minutes.

CHP closed both sides of the 118 Freeway during the firefight, leading to major backups and traffic chaos in the area. Connectors from the 5 to the 118 were also closed.

Officials said the flames threatened homes adjacent to the freeway, but no structures were damaged. About one acre of brush was burned.

There's a #fire at the 118/5 interchange. @LAFD just showed up. The kids were nervous but @NelsonBussRE got us through safely! pic.twitter.com/i3i5z9QNru

— Amy Buss (@USArmyVeteran17) September 8, 2019

The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Humphrey said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for details.