Rapidly spreading wildfire forces full closure of I-5 through the Grapevine

Around mid-afternoon on Thursday, a wildfire named the Danny Fire broke out near the I-5 Freeway in Southern California, quickly growing to an estimated 50 acres by about 5:00 p.m., according to Watch Duty. The blaze burned south of Gorman and north of Smokey Bear Road, prompting evacuation warnings for zones GOR-E004, GOR-HUNGRYVALLEY-A and GOR-HUNGRYVALLEY-B, with officials cautioning that structures could be at risk within 15 to 20 minutes of the initial report.

A helicopter over the scene reported a moderate rate of spread as ground crews responded. Both directions of Interstate 5 through the Grapevine were closed, halting traffic on this critical north-south artery. The fire was first reported at roughly 2 acres shortly after 4:15 p.m., consuming light to medium vegetation. The origin of the fire has not yet been determined, and the situation remains under active monitoring.