Norton Fire Scorches Forty Acres In Contra Costa County: Report

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — A wind-driven fire tore through dry grasslands Thursday evening in eastern Contra Costa County, swelling from five acres to 40 acres in less than two hours before firefighters stopped its forward spread near Clayton.

The blaze, identified by CAL FIRE as the Norton Fire, ignited around 5:25 p.m. near Nortonville Road and Black Diamond Way, according to reports.

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Crews from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District arrived to find roughly five acres burning between Somersville Road and Kirker Pass Road.

Within 20 minutes, flames exploded across the dry terrain, growing to 20 acres as smoke climbed above eastern Contra Costa County. Firefighters launched a coordinated attack using engines, hand crews, and aircraft as the fire pushed through grass-covered hillsides, according to reports.

By 6:54 p.m., officials reported the fire had reached 40 acres but said crews had contained the blaze. CAL FIRE said steep terrain and weather conditions complicated firefighting efforts, though responders continued gaining ground against the flames, according to reports.

Authorities said fire crews would remain at the scene for several hours to strengthen containment lines and monitor for flare-ups.