It was a rough getaway for people leaving for the holiday weekend on the Highway-99 Friday afternoon.

Several small fires broke out along the highway causing traffic to get backed up, according to the Kern County Fire department.

The first of about five fires started just before 3:00 pm just north of Airport Drive. Fire crews noticed several smaller fires burning north of the intersection.

The CHP escorted traffic due to the heavy smoke.

The causes of the fires are under investigation.