Fireworks Suspected In 3 Separate Weekend Blazes In Solano, Contra Costa Counties

CONTRA COSTA and SOLANO COUNTIES, CA --

IN BRENTWOOD:

What started as a grass fire possibly caused by fireworks Sunday night turned into a 12-hour attempt to completely knock down a blaze that slowly scorched construction supplies in Brentwood, fire officials said.

The fire kept all of the East Contra Costa Fire Protect District's crews busy until 4 a.m. Monday and caused around $100,000 in damage because the blaze was burning through stacks of a company's building materials, Fire Chief Hugh Henderson said.

The fire began around 10 p.m. Sunday with 100 feet of vegetation on both sides of Marsh Creek Trail burning near Hanson Lane. What grew to a 2-acre fire in an open field on Elkins Way then spread to a nearby supply
yard belonging to Town & Country Roofing & Solar.

The fire was contained within an hour, but it took around 12 hours to extinguish the fire in the supply yard because of the presence of combustibles, Henderson said.

Fireworks are suspected to be the cause of the original vegetation fire.

The fire served as a climax to a busy Sunday for the fire district. The district received 36 calls throughout the day and had to rely on other agencies to answer at least 10 of them, Henderson said.

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IN VALLEJO:

Fireworks that were improperly extinguished started a one-alarm fire at a residence in Vallejo early this morning, a Vallejo Fire Department spokesman said.

The fire was reported at 1:15 a.m. in the 100 block of Dieninger Street near Griffin Drive.

The residents used the fireworks Monday night and left improperly extinguished ones still in packaging against an exterior garage wall of the residence, fire Engineer Anthony Shair-Ali said.

Firefighters contained the fire to the garage and prevented damage that could have been $450,000. The loss is estimated at $100,000, Shair-Ali said.

Firefighters had to pull down a ceiling inside the home to make sure flames did not spread, Shair-Ali said.

"The fireworks still must have been warm and were unattended," he said.

Two adults and a child were displaced and the American Red Cross responded to find temporary housing, Shair-Ali said.

Fireworks are illegal in Vallejo and the Fire Department is still compiling information about fireworks-related incidents and nuisance calls, according to Shair-Ali.

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IN OAKLEY:

Two people were hospitalized as a result of a 5-acre fire near homes in Oakley on Monday night that was possibly caused by fireworks, according to the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.

The blaze broke out at 9:21 p.m. in the 600 block of Honey Lane, according to the fire district.

PG&E crews had to shut off high-voltage power lines in the area as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

Although the fire only caused minimal damage to a home before it was extinguished, two people had to be taken to a hospital because of smoke inhalation, according to the fire district.

Oakley police are investigating the cause of the fire.

Also see:

• 4-Alarm Fire Reported In Solano County
• Fire Burns Several Acres Near Briones Reservoir
• Crews Trying To Extinguish Brush Fire Near Martinez
• CA Wildfire Map: 5,200 Firefighters Battling 14 Fires Today

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