Three small brush fires spark in Palm City, a mile east of National City

Firefighters were called on Wednesday to battle a trio of brush fires in a South Bay riverbed.

The so-called Beyer Fire sparked at around 3 p.m. north of Kaanapali Way, officials said. Law enforcement was asked to close Beyer Boulevard from Main Street to the city of San Diego limits, officials said.

By 4 o’clock when NBC 7’s Sky Ranger 7 flew overhead, a half-dozen fire trucks could be seen parked nearby on Beyer Boulevard, the relatively small plumes of smoke from two fires floating above, as well as a firefighting helicopter making water drops. Ground crews were also spotted battling the flames as well. Officials said the largest of three fires was limited to a half-acre.

Not long after, it appeared that two of the fires had been mostly extinguished — there was a lot of groundwater pooled in pockets of the riverbed — with the third apparently headed in the same direction.

By 4:10, traffic had resumed on the western side of Beyer Boulevard.

It’s not clear yet what sparked the fire, though the fact that they appear to have begun independently is certainly suspicious.

Check back here for updates on this breaking news — Ed.