Source of Burning Backpack on I-280 a Mystery: CHP

REDWOOD CITY, CA – Investigators are still looking into the cause of a suspicious backpack fire that closed all northbound traffic on Interstate Highway 280 in San Mateo County Thursday and snarled the evening commute for hours, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The flaming backpack was reported at about 6:43 p.m. but the highway wasn't reopened until shortly after 8 p.m. in order to allow the San Mateo County Sheriff's bomb squad to investigate, CHP Officer Art Montiel said.

The contents of the bag, which was on the edge of the fast lane and the next lane over, weren't found to be dangerous and included a laptop and some papers, Montiel said.

"We got comments on social media (about the bad traffic)," Montiel said. "And the road was shut down for an hour and a half. Obviously we don't want somebody driving by if indeed there was a bomb in that backpack."

Traffic was diverted onto Farm Hill Boulevard for the duration of the incident.

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Bomb Squad Called After Suspicious Backpack Starts Fire on Highway 280: Police

– By Bay City News Service / Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone