Interstate 70 was shut down for several hours Sunday afternoon when a series of brush fires filed the highway with smoke.

Drought conditions helped sparked field fires along the eastbound lanes of I-70 at about 1:30 p.m.  Fire crews from several departments responded to the area of the 31 mile marker when smoke from the fires filled the highway.  Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Rich Wirdzek said the dry and warm weather often leads to conditions like this.

"The dry weather combined with very warm temperatures and sunshine interacting with drought conditions cause this type of brush and grass fires," Wirdzek said.  "As the dry weather we expect persists, thicker vegetation will continue to dry out, making for increased burn conditions."

A small chance for rain is in Sunday night's forecast, but most Miami Valley residents will not see rain until about Saturday.