OCEANSIDE, Calif. — A brush fire in Oceanside prompted authorities to evacuate a shopping center Sunday evening and shut down a busy freeway.
Oceanside Fire Department was alerted around 2:23 p.m. of a vegetation fire burning near Mission Avenue and Frazee Road.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they discovered several spot fires burning in a dry-brush-filled area just behind the North Town Center shopping area which is home to a Walmart, Vons, Chevron, and several other businesses.
Oceanside police told CBS 8 that the shopping center was evacuated, and both sides of SR-76 near the area where the fire was burning were shut down.
No homes were threatened by the flames.
Several viewers called the CBS 8 newsroom and expressed distaste for the frequency of alleged encampment fires in the area.
Oceanside police could not confirm the cause of the fire at the time this article was published.
Authorities urged the public to stay clear of the area.
By 9 p.m., Oceanside Police Department lifted all closures and evacuation orders in the area.
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