Close Call: Brush Fire Burns Backyard Fences, Power Poles, Sparking Outage

Fire officials believe juveniles playing with fireworks sparked a three-alarm vegetation fire that burned the fences of three properties and caused a power outage in Dixon this afternoon, according to a fire official.

Dixon Fire Department Chief Aaron McAlister said he was “very concerned” about the combination of a prolonged drought, high temperatures forecasted for the coming week and a holiday frequently celebrated with fireworks.

“I remain very concerned about the drought conditions and I’m very concerned about the explosive fire potential this week,” McAlister said. “We’re already seeing significant fires in and around our area.”

Firefighters responded around 3 p.m. to a report of a grass fire in the area of North First and East H streets, McAlister said. McAlister said the fast-moving fire spread along a set of railroad tracks nearby, eventually burning on both sides of the tracks.

Undeveloped properties with overgrowth helped fuel the fire, McAlister said.

The fire burned the rear fences of three properties, but McAlister said there was no damage to the homes themselves. “Some people had gone out of their way to maintain their yards and the grass outside their fences,” McAlister said. “The areas with the most damage were the areas where no preparations had been made.”

The fire also burned some of PG&E’s power poles, which caused a power outage in town, McAlister said.

As of around 8:30 p.m., McAlister said PG&E had restored power.

It took roughly 50 firefighters, including support from departments in surrounding towns to battle the blaze, McAlister said. The fire crews had the blaze under control by 4:15 p.m., but not before it had consumed 5 acres of vegetation, he said.

The cause of the fire is suspicious, McAlister said. “We had multiple reports of juveniles playing with fireworks in the area,” McAlister said, adding that fireworks in Dixon went on sale at noon today. High temperatures expected next week coupled with the Fourth of July holiday and the drought “creates a dangerous combination,” McAlister said. “We need everyone to be on high alert,” McAlister said. “Minors should not be using fireworks unsupervised. Fireworks should not be used near dry grass, and even safe and sane fireworks can be dangerous if used improperly.”

--Bay City News; Patch File Photo via L.A. Sheriff’s Department