Resident Describes Vegetation Fire Near Vacaville That Prompted Evacuations
VACAVILLE (CBS13) — Firefighters stopped the forward progress and gained containment on a vegetation fire near Vacaville that prompted evacuations through the afternoon Thursday.
The fire burned near Buena Vista Lane and Timm Road. A total of 26 acres burned, Cal Fire says. All mandatory evacuation orders have since been lifted.
"The power cut out to our house," said Solano County resident Kyle Lewald.
Lewald said it was his first warning that fire was nearby.
"We went outside to check why and then we saw the neighbor's house on fire," he said.
The lawn around his neighbor's home on Buena Vista Lane in Solano County was burning and the wind was blowing the blaze closer to his property.
"I was pretty concerned it would spread quickly," Lewald said.
Soon, he was surrounded by fire crews working to stop the grass fire from getting worse.
"I'm glad so many people showed up," he said.
The Vacaville Fire Department, US Air Force fire crews and Cal Fire all worked quickly to battle the 26-acre blaze but it wasn't easy. Their enemies: wind and heat.
"As you look throughout the area, you see smoke coming off the ground due to the heat. Any of these hotspots that are going can have an ember in it and that ember can get picked up by the wind and thrown further into an area that hasn't burned yet," said Cal Fire spokesperson Tyree Zander.
Starting a new fire is something crews and neighbors worked throughout the afternoon to avoid.
"I'm going to just watch this area and make sure nothing flares up," Lewald said.
No injuries to firefighters or neighbors were reported.
Crews will remain on scene here throughout the night to put out any potential hotspots.