A 5-acre brush fire in the median of Interstate 5 north of Woodland briefly shut down the freeway in both directions.
Clark County Fire & Rescue firefighters assisted Cowlitz County firefighters in putting out the blaze, which was reported around 11:40 p.m. near milepost 28.
The Washington State Patrol assisted in temporarily shutting down I-5 due to heavy smoke in the area.
“We err on the side of caution when heavy smoke crosses the freeway,” said Battalion Chief Tim Dawdy. He added that the closure was also for the safety of the firefighter. “One of the most dangerous things firefighters ever do is work along the freeway.”
The fire was extinguished and all lanes of freeway reopened. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
