SAN JOSE – Firefighters on Wednesday afternoon were battling a series of small vegetation fires near Interstate 280 and Meridian Avenue in San Jose, authorities said.

Reported just before 4 p.m., the fires were not threatening any structures, the San Jose Fire Department said in a tweet.

Firefighters were “getting good knockdown” on the fires as of 5:15 p.m., the fire department said in a follow-up tweet. The blazes, however, were not yet under control.

At least one vehicle was destroyed, the fire department said. The cause of the fires was under investigation.

Traffic was impacted by the blazes. Firefighters closed the right lane of southbound 280 at Race Street, KCBS Radio reported. Southbound traffic was backed up from Lawrence Expressway and northbound traffic was backed up from State Route 87.

Firefighters battled a similar blaze earlier in the day. At about 12:20 p.m., a vegetation fire was reported in the cloverleaf at Interstate 680 and McKee Road. The fire department said the blaze was under control as of 2 p.m. No injuries were reported.

The fires broke out as a blistering heat wave descended on the Bay Area and stoked fire danger to perilously high levels. San Jose topped out at 89 degrees. The hot spell was expected to intensify Thursday, with the National Weather Service issuing a heat advisory for most of the region through 9 p.m. Friday.

Check back for updates.