Northbound I-5 reopens at Camp Pendleton but southbound lanes remain closed due to fire

All lanes of Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton were reopened after nearby brush fires shut down the entire freeway for hours in North County on Friday, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Northbound I-5 reopened to traffic around 4:30 p.m. at Vandegrift Boulevard, the CHP reported. Southbound traffic from Basilone Road reopened around 5:15 p.m. after crews finished cleaning flame retardant off the freeway.

The freeway closure came shortly after a vehicle on a semi-truck vehicle hauler caught on fire around 11 a.m. south of the CHP freeway checkpoint, and the flames spread to nearby brush, according to CHP. Dubbed the Scales fire, the blaze had burned 20 acres by 5 p.m., according to Cal Fire.

Firefighters continue to make progress on the Scale fire, extinguishing hotspots and strengthening control lines,” fire officials said around 4:45 p.m., according to updates on the AwareCA app.

The blaze was burning near the Henderson fire on Camp Pendleton. That fire, which started Thursday near a gun range, scorched 2,080 acres and also prompted a full freeway closure for about an hour during Thursday’s evening rush hour.