Crews have stopped forward progress of a fire alongside the northbound lanes of Interstate 280 in San Jose near the Meridian Avenue exit, according to firefighters Thursday.
Someone first reported the fire, which is burning grass off the side of the highway, at around 1:45 p.m. The San Jose Fire Department said it grew to about an acre before forward progress was stopped.
NBC Bay Area Skyranger also observed other crews fighting a fire alongside what appeared to be Interstate 17.
The fire is still generating a lot of smoke and traffic in the area is slow, according to the department. It also shared on social media that "On-ramps from 280N to 17S and 880N are currently closed" at 3:29 p.m. and advised people to find alternate routes.
The department later shared on social media that the right two lanes of southbound I-17 between I-280 and Hamilton Avenue were also closed.
The exact cause of the fire is still unclear.
Police arrested a man with outstanding warrants who officers found walking near the scene, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff added that officers found materials which could possibly be used to start fires when they searched him.
Investigators with the California Highway Patrol will be interviewing the man.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. >Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
