Strong Winds Cause Citrus Heights Power Outage, Spread Yolo Highway Fire
CITRUS HEIGHTS (CBS13) - Wind gusts up to 40 miles an hour have been rocking the valley Saturday and they're not done yet.
Strong winds and even stronger gusts are taking hold of the valley as the blustery conditions toppled a giant tree in Citrus Heights and took with it many homes' electricity.
It wasn't just power trouble.
"We had an over 30 mile per hour wind on it, so the fire quickly grew," said Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli.
A Yolo County grass fire would grow to more than 160 acres off of Highway 16 as a red flag warning remained staging firefighters.
"You can smell it," said one woman.
It threatened 20 structures, including Cache Creek Casino.
California Highway Patrol shut down the road for safety, leaving people in a bind.
"We move up then we stop. I think they probably let ten cars through," said one woman stuck in the traffic.
Firefighters finally got the upper hand, no injuries and no structures would be harmed.
It was a day of wind and inconvenience.
