Brushfire Erupts At Concord Naval Weapon Station

CONCORD (CBS SF) -- Firefighters battled a 25-acre wildfire Monday that ignited in the rural grassland along a roadside on the sprawling grounds of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.

The blaze was reported at 10:13 a.m. near Lynwood Dr. and Willow Pass Road. Heavy smoke and the advancing fire forced authorities shut down traffic on Willow Pass.

Firefighters from Cal Fire, Contra Costa County and the federal government were fighting the blaze. Air tankers joined the battle as it neared the Dana Estates subdivision in Concord.

Residents of the subdivision were seen on the roofs of homes watering them down with garden hoses.

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District officials said the fire was 80 percent contained by noon and all forward progress had been stopped.

The fire was not threatening any of the dozens of abandoned structures on the former base. Smoke from the blaze has spread to other areas such as
Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga.