Firefighters battled a large trash fire in the South Bay early Saturday, less than 24 hours after authorities cleared the site of a sprawling homeless encampment.
The blaze, at about 4:30 a.m., is believed to have been retaliatory, according to OnScene.TV. Flames covered the pile, which had measured approximately 30 by 30 feet and up to 12 feet high.
The California Highway Patrol closed the transition ramp to state Route 54 as crews from Chula Vista and National City handled the fire.
A bulldozer had arranged the rubbish into the large pile, estimated to contain a ton of trash, after a large Caltrans crew cleaned out the homeless area, made up of several encampments near northbound Interstate 5, on Friday.
Residents of the camp had become aggressive with the crew, OnScene reported, and the CHP responded to provide support.
