Vehicle fire spread to vegetation along northbound lanes just north of Exit 11

Ashland.news staff report

Update: 5:47 p.m. Tuesday

One lane of northbound Interstate 5 is open, according to Julie Denney, public information officer with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

ORIGINAL POST

A fire by Interstate 5 south of Ashland has been stopped at 1 acre in size, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest District reported at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Northbound lanes of Interstate 5 remain closed while firefighters mop up the fire.

A vehicle fire on the northbound side spread to vegetation nearby, according to reports from the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) as reported on the Watch Duty app.

“We’re responding with our structural partners,” ODF said in its initial report. “Firefighters on scene estimate the fire has spread to half an acre in the surrounding vegetation.

“Resources are engaging in an aggressive initial attack, and our Type 1 helicopter out of Ashland has been ordered.”

The fire was reported at 2:41 p.m., according to the PulsePoint app.

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