SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Thursday, 5 a.m. update:
A small fire crew is still on the scene of the second fire that burned roughly 10-15 acres along the American River.
The so-called Cadillac Fire was contained on Wednesday night at roughly 11:30 p.m., but incident investigators are still determining what sparked the blaze.
Grace Mikula was at a nearby Raley's on Friday night when she saw the smoke rising near the river, and called 911 to report the fire.
"The response was really fast," Mikula said. "They even have bulldozers here...they're really good at their jobs because the flames have gone down a wee bit."
But even Mikula was aware of how weather conditions, and the fire's proximity to power lines, could be an issue for the firefighters.
"The wind is blowing really bad, so that's always a chance for unexpected, more flames," Mikula said.
11:30 p.m. update:
The second fire to spark in Sacramento has been contained, fire officials say.
According to a tweet from the Sacramento Fire Department, a fire that broke out in the 5200 block of Carlson Drive was contained after it burned an estimated 10-15 acres.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
11:15 p.m. update:
The Sacramento Fire Department has released more information regarding two vegetation fires that sparked Wednesday evening.
According to Captain Keith Wade from the Sacramento Fire Department, the first fire broke out behind Cal Expo around 8:30 p.m. Wade says that fire required about 80 to 100 firefighters to contain and burned about 20 acres.
As for the second fire, crews had to scramble for additional resources from other areas in the city and county.
"As you can see with the wind, it's been quite a task and the firefighters are in for quite a fight tonight," said Wade.
No evacuations have been issued as of 11 p.m.
Wade said crews are doing some backburning operations and other tactics to keep the second fire under control.
Wade did not have a size estimate or the cause of either fire. An investigator has arrived on scene to try to determine what happened.
"There's nothing to tell us that they were intentionally set, but I can tell you there's been no lightning strikes in the area," explained Wade. "It's more than likely human activity did cause both of these fires."
No injuries have been reported in connection to either fire and no buildings have been damaged.
Wade said firefighters will be in the area for most of the night while crews pick up all the smoldering embers and make sure that the fire doesn't spark up again.
10:40 p.m. update:
A two-alarm fire that sparked in the lower American River Parkway Wednesday was contained around 9:30 p.m., Sacramento Fire says.
According to a tweet from Sacramento Fire Department, the fire burned an estimated 20 acres before it was contained.
No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Original Story:
Crews are battling a two-alarm grass fire in Sacramento.
According to a tweet from the Sacramento Fire Department, the flames sparked in the lower American River Parkway near Bushy Lake.
The cause of the fire has not been released. No injuries have been reported.
Less than 15 minutes later, crews also responded to a second grass fire in the 5200 block of Carlson Drive. Very little information is available about the second fire at this time.
People attending a game at Heart Health Park posted pictures on Twitter of the visible smokes and flames from one of the fires.
This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, 2020 was one of the most severe fire seasons on record as 9,917 wildfires burned 4.2 million acres. Over 9,000 structures were destroyed, and 31 people (civilians and firefighters) were killed.
California also experienced its first "Gigafire" because of the August Complex Fire, burning over 1 million acres by itself. Four of California's top five largest wildfires in state history happened in 2020.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
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