Evacuation Orders Lifted in Crockett, I-80 Closed 5 Hours When Fires Burn Above Carquinez Strait
VALLEJO (CBS SF) -- Fires erupted along Interstate 80 near Crockett Sunday, prompting evacuation notices for residents on both sides of the Carquinez Bridge, authorities said.
The fires sent billowing smoke and flames toward the freeway, forcing the California Highway Patrol to shut it down in both directions for almost five hours.
The westbound direction of Interstate 80 in Vallejo reopened around 2 p.m. with the eastbound direction in Crockett set to reopen about an hour later, according to the California Highway Patrol. Both directions and the Carquinez and Zampa bridges had been closed to traffic due to fire and smoke from the blazes that broke out Sunday morning in Vallejo and Crockett.
Some neighborhoods in south Vallejo have been evacuated for the fire there.
Most of the town of Crockett was also evacuated but that order was lifted as crews gained control of the Sky Fire beside the Cummings Skyway.
The Sky Fire burned 150 acres and was 50 percent contained, Cal Fire said shortly after noon.
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Initially, it appears that the fires may have had the same ignition point as embers were carried on the 30-40 mph gusting winds in the area which was under a Red Flag Warning.
The initial blaze was reported shortly after 9 a.m. in the Glen Cove area and by 9:20 a.m. the Vallejo Firefighters Association was reporting that crews were battling two fires in the area.
It's often windy on Waterview Terrace in the Glen Cove neighborhood, but at 8:30 a.m. the power hadn't even been turned off.
By 9:30 a.m. the fire had jumped the freeway and was burning toward the California State University Maritime Academy. Helicopter video showed at least one commercial building burning and two vehicles in its parking lot.
"The next thing I know, the whole neighborhood got dark, the sun got clouded over and then I come around the side of the building and this whole hillside's on fire," said Glen Cove resident Dave Miller.
The California Highway Patrol diverted traffic to Interstate 780 and Highway 4 during the closure.
"The next thing I know, the whole neighborhood got dark, the sun got clouded over and then I come around the side of the building and this whole hillside's on fire," said Glen Cove resident Dave Miller.
But homeowners say the response was quick as firefighters stopped the flames just as they reached people's back fences. At least in Vallejo, no structures were lost nor people injured and with the wind blowing towards the strait, the fire ended at the water's edge.
© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. KPIX 5's John Ramos contributed to this report.
