Brush fire in Southern California briefly shuts down 5 Freeway

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. (NBC, KYMA) - A brush fire in Southern California briefly shut down part of the 5 Freeway in Sylmar Wednesday morning.

Firefighters responded to a brush fire burning along an embankment near the junction of the 14 and 5 Freeways, just north of Los Angeles.

The northbound 5 Freeway was temporarily closed as crews attacked the fire from the ground and the air.

Water-dropping aircraft, including the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Tandem-Rotor CH-47 Chinook helicopter, were called in to help slow the fire's spread.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Crews stopped the forward progress of the fire at approximately two acres, and the northbound lanes of the 5 freeway reopened around 10:30 a.m.

The fire comes as Southern California faces another stretch of hot, dry weather, with the highest temperatures expected Wednesday and Thursday.

Heat advisories remain in effect for parts of the region through the end of the week, increasing the risk of wildfire activity.