Solano fire crews help battle Glass Fire
Crews from Fairfield and Vallejo are among more than 1,400 fire personnel assigned to battle the multi-county blaze.
(Photo courtesy Fairfield Fire Department)
Firefighting crews from throughout Solano County are joining fire personnel from across the state in battling against a multi-county, out-of-control wildfire in two neighboring counties.
Crews from the Fairfield Fire Department and Vallejo Fire Department comprise two of the agencies providing mutual aid to firefighters who are fighting the Glass Fire, a 42,000-acre wildfire that started under Red Flag weather conditions last weekend.
The fire has destroyed more than 100 homes and other structures and forced the evacuation of around 70,000 residence since it began.
This year has brought a busy fire season for firefighters throughout California, including those in Solano County who fought against the LNU Lightning Complex wildfire when it reached rural Fairfield, Vacaville and Winters last month, only to be shipped out to Butte County, El Dorado County, Tulare County and now Napa and Sonoma counties to battle devastating wildfires there.
For some firefighters, heading to Napa and Sonoma counties brought about a sense of déjà vu — some battled the Tubbs Fire when it broke out in the same area three years ago.
"In many ways, it’s eerie to drive the same roads and see many of the same areas devastated by fire once again," Vallejo Fire Department spokesperson Kevin Brown said in an interview with the Vallejo Times Herald newspaper on Tuesday. “On the positive side, we’re all very familiar with the local roadways and infrastructure. However, it weighs on us to see the same communities evacuated as before.”
As of Wednesday morning, the Glass Fire was not considered to be a direct threat to Solano County. But residents here may still suffer the effects of it — smoke and haze are expected to blanket much of north Solano County, including areas of Dixon, Fairfield and Vacaville, through the remainder of the week.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, a Spare the Air Alert has been issued through Friday.
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