NOVATO, CA — A vehicle collision that sparked a vegetation fire and brought down power lines shut down Highway 101 and State Route 37 in both directions Thursday morning in Novato, according to authorities.
At 10:50 a.m., Cal Fire reported all fires had been contained.
At 10:43 a.m., the Novato Police Department reported portions Highway 101 have been reopened but S.R. 37 remains closed and the fire is still active.
At 10 a.m on Thursday, police reported there are 3 separate fires with each of them being about a quarter acre in size.
The crash occurred near the Highway 101-State Route 37 interchange, prompting closures of both highways and the South Novato Boulevard on- and off-ramps at Gateway Court.
Authorities later said the crash involved a vehicle that struck a power pole, causing downed power lines and outages in parts of south Novato.
Drivers who were stopped on Highway 101 or State Route 37 were instructed to remain inside their vehicles until first responders declared the area safe because of the live power lines.
Officials also warned that traffic signals affected by the outage should be treated as four-way stops.
Cal Fire said crews responded around 9:42 a.m. to a vegetation fire burning about one-eighth of an acre along the roadway. Incident commanders closed both highways while firefighters and emergency crews worked at the scene.
Authorities urged motorists to avoid the area and use alternate routes until further notice.
Additional details about the crash, including whether anyone was injured, were not immediately available.
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