Motorcycle crash may be cause of East Fire in Cleveland National Forest

CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST (KUSI) — U.S. Forest Service firefighters made quick work of a five-acre vegetation fire near Lake Henshaw Saturday afternoon possibly started by a motorcycle collision, according to authorities.

Shortly after 1:00 Saturday near mile marker three on East Grade Road in the Cleveland National Forest, the Forest Service and the CHP responded to a traffic collision. 

Crews found a male driver down with unknown injuries along with a motorcycle and surrounding brush on fire. 

The U.S Forest Service said the fire was moving at a slow rate of speed with no structures threatened. Moments later, officials tweeted that aircraft were being released from the fire and ground crews were in the mopping-up stage.

Whether the motorcycle accident and the brush fire are connected is still under investigation.