A vegetation fire ignited in the center divider of Highway 101 around the Ukiah area this afternoon prompting multiple agencies to respond.
The #1 lanes of Highway 101 north and southbound are blocked as firefighters get control of the flames.
Scanner traffic beginning around 1:30 p.m. indicates multiple callers were reporting a fire flaring up on the center divider south of North State Street.
An Incident Commander on the scene described the fire as a 50’x20′ growing at a moderate rate of spread. By 1:41 p.m., the fire’s forward progress was reportedly stopped.
UPDATE 2:02 p.m.: Scanner traffic indicates the #1 lane of southbound Highway 101 will be reopening shortly.
UPDATE 2:13 p.m.: The Incident Commander reported the fire is completely extinguished and the incident has been terminated.
Please remember that this story is unfolding. Information is being reported as we gather it. However, some of the information coming from witnesses and initial official reports could be wrong. We will do our best to get the facts but, in the case that something is inaccurate, we will update with correct information as soon as we can.
Not surprising that IDIOT motorists throw their lit cigarettes out the windows into dry brush on the freeway without a care in the world. People who don’t live here, on their way to somewhere else, while others have to suffer with their homes being burned down or being under a stressful fire situation. BE MORE MINDFUL ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE AND YOUR ACTIONS IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. We should have a number to report people that throw lit cigarettes out of their car on a freeway. Been witness to a few of these idiots.