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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO (CNS) - A brush fire erupted alongside Ortega Highway near San Juan Capistrano today, racing uphill through thick vegetation and forcing a complete closure of the roadway.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at noon near Hot Spring Canyon Road, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg Barta.
The blaze -- dubbed the San Juan Fire -- was knocked down later in the afternoon and contained to 5 to 8 acres, said Vickie Wright of the Cleveland National Forest Service.
Ortega Highway was closed in both directions in the area to accommodate responding fire crews.
There was no immediate word on what sparked the blaze. Crews on scene reported the fire was burning uphill, with potential to spread across 100 acres, but aerial assets were dispatched to the scene to slow the spread of the flames.