Electrical issue sparks four-alarm fire in rural Vacaville
(Photo courtesy Lindsay Carpio-Kelly, Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
A crash involving a vehicle and a power pole sparked a four-alarm grass fire that triggered evacuation orders in a large part of rural Solano County on Thursday, Solano NewsNet has learned.
The crash happened around 2 p.m. in the area of Timm Road and Buena Vista Drive, a Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) spokesperson told Solano NewsNet by e-mail.
The incident caused more than 1,300 PG&E customers to lose power in the area, the spokesperson said.
Around 15 minutes after the crash, emergency dispatchers began receiving 9-1-1 calls about a vegetation fire in that area. Preliminary information indicates the fire was linked to the crash, a source familiar with the probe told Solano NewsNet.
The fire’s rapid growth triggered a four-alarm response, drawing firefighters from throughout Solano County.
Forward progress on the fire was stopped around 3:30 p.m. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) reported the fire burned 26 acres and was 80 percent contained as of 8 p.m.
The Solano County Sheriff’s Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for several rural Vacaville neighborhoods that were in the area of the fire. All evacuation orders had been reduced to evacuation warnings by Thursday evening.
A road closure along Timm Road was being lifted as part of the reduced evacuation warnings. The California Highway Patrol says residents are being allowed to return home if they live in an evacuation warning area.
Electrical service was restored to most areas by Thursday afternoon.
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