Update: 405/605 Connectors Reopen After Brush Fire

The transitions between the 605 and 405 freeways have reopened in time for Monday's afternoon commute following a 2-acre brush fire alongside the freeway in Seal Beach.

Traffic was piled up for miles as a result of the afternoon closure. The 605 and 405 freeways are commonly used by Cerritos and Artesia residents who work in the Orange County and Long Beach area. 

The blaze was initially reported at 2:23 p.m. as a slow-moving fire affecting a handful of bushes, but when firefighters arrived on the scene, they found 2 acres engulfed in a quick-moving fire, said Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion.

The California Highway Patrol closed the connectors, and four fire engines and a helicopter were used to put out the flames, said Concepcion. As of 4 p.m., the firefighters had put out the fire, and the connectors were reopened.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, said CHP Officer Gabe Montoya. But it might have been deliberate, he speculated.

“There was a homeless encampment in there, and they were given notice to clear out,” said Montoya. “Sometimes they go peacefully, and sometimes they kind of decide, ‘We are going to torch and burn the place before we go.’ ”

- City News Service contributed to this report.