Brush fire breaks out along US 101 freeway near Gaviota

GAVIOTA, Calif. - California Highway Patrol officers and Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to a fire that broke out near the southbound lanes of the US 101 freeway near Gaviota.

The CHP website described the burn as a car fire. It was reported around 8 p.m. on the right-hand side of the freeway just south of the Mariposa Reina offramp.

Santa Barbara County Fire said, upon arriving, the fire appeared to be about a quarter acre in size. By the end, the burn had reached one acre.

As of about 9:30 p.m., all progress by the fire was stopped.

All train tracks were stopped in the area as the fire spread to both sides of the tracks. Nearby communication lines are also being heavily impacted.

CHP said a pickup truck had pulled over on the right side of the freeway with a fire on its undercarriage.

The fire quickly spread from the truck to the nearby grass sparking the brush fire.

CHP shut down the slow lane of the freeway at the Mariposa Reina exit while emergency personnel responded to the fire.

As of about 9:30 p.m., a NewsChannel 3 reporter said there was mostly just smoke left. CHP said the slow lane will remain closed for the next two hours while firefighters tackle hot spots.

Around 1:24 a.m., CHP reported that the slow lane was officially reopened.

This is a developing story. We will update as more information becomes available.