Firefighters battle grass fires in Sonoma, Alameda counties
OAKLAND, Calif. - Trains have been halted after a fast-spreading vegetation fire in Newark made its way to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on Tuesday, fire officials say.
Alameda County Fire Department firefighters were called to the fire at Eureka Drive and Stevenson Boulevard just before 4 p.m.
Forward progress of the fire has been stopped. Authorities must now inspect the tracks before train travel through the area is cleared.
This is in an industrial area of Alameda County west of Interstate 880. Firefighters said this was a wind-driven fire and Pacific Gas and Electric had to de-energize electricity in the area, a fire department spokesperson said.
The fire department said they worked to keep flames away from commercial buildings in the area. "Firefighters had to deal with trees going up in flames along with a power pole. ACFD brought in one of its dozers to try and stop the forward progress of the fire.
A third-alarm was called, along with mutual aid, at around 5:30 p.m. Firefighters from Oakland and Hayward were called in, but Oakland firefighters were called off before they arrived.
Details on the size of the fire were not provided.
No injuries were reported. Officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
SkyFOX flew above and saw firefighters working the blaze.
Firefighters are expected to remain at the scene until the fire is out.
Meanwhile, in the North Bay, Cal Fire and local agencies responded to a six-acre vegetation fire on the east side of Geysers Road near Preston Drive, north of Cloverdale.
Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit said the so-called Preston fire moved uphill at a rapid rate of spread before forward progress was stopped shortly after 6 p.m. The fire agency first reported the grass fire shortly after 4:30 p.m.
Additional support, by way of dozers, fixed wing assets, hand crews and water tenders fought the flames.
Crews are expected to remain at the scene for several hours to fortify control lines and to mop up.
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