Toll Fire On I-80 Near Vallejo Spreads To Homes: Fire Officials

SOLANO COUNTY, CA — The Toll Fire that broke out along Interstate Highway 80 between Sonoma Boulevard and the Glen Cove area in Vallejo Thursday afternoon, quickly spreading to nearby vegetation and threatening homes, grew to 39. 5 acres but was fully contained by 4:30 p.m. -- with minimal damage to homes, a Vallejo city spokeswoman reported.

The blaze started as a car fire at 12:45 p.m. on eastbound Highway 80, just east of the Carquinez Bridge toll plaza, according to the California Highway Patrol. The flames quickly spread to a grassy hillside, and there were multiple initial reports that some homes caught fire.

By mid-afternoon, at least 20 acres had burned and as many as four homes were damaged, according to news reports.

The emergency response blocked several lanes of the highway, and a SigAlert was issued.

The four affected homes were in the 100 block of Barrington Drive at Bayhurst Drive, according to city of Vallejo spokeswoman Joanna Altman. She said the homes had broken windows but their structures were intact.

The fire affected traffic in the area for several hours. Some lanes of eastbound Highway 80 were closed at the Carquinez Bridge toll plaza but those lanes were expected to open up at about 5:45 p.m., CHP officials said.

The blaze prompted the city of Vallejo to activate its Emergency Operations Center.

Residents in the area were told to shelter in place until smoke from the fire subsides.

Residents affected by the fire were directed to meet officials with the Red Cross in the parking lot of the Joseph H. Wardlaw Elementary School at 1698 Oakwood Ave.

Firefighters from Cal Fire, Fairfield, Cordelia, Vacaville, Benicia, Crockett and American Canyon responded to the wildland fire that also drew strike team crews, dozers, hand crews, an air attack and a full wildland response.

An earlier fire along eastbound Highway 80 at the American Canyon off-ramp east of state Highway 37 was reported at 1 p.m. but was extinguished by 1:30 p.m., according to the CHP.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.

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