Video: ‘Significant’ brush fire on I-495 median in Middleborough stops traffic

A raging brush fire in the median of I-495 in Middleborough “heavily impacted” traffic Thursday evening, according to Massachusetts State Police.

Video of the brush fire shows a large blaze among the trees that seems to have spread along the median. State Police advised drivers to avoid I-495.

The brush fire came on a rare 80-degree day in April that reached near-record highs.

Brush fires have become an increasingly common problem in Massachusetts this year. By Wednesday, fire crews across the state had already responded to nearly 100 fires in the last week due to dry, warm, and breezy weather, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation said.

Boston remained under a fire advisory by the National Weather Service on Thursday.

Firefighters extinguished the median fire by 6:20 p.m. Thursday, according to State Police. All lanes of I-495 were then reopened.