470 Acres of Land Burned Near Highway 12 – The Vacaville Reporter

Nearly 500 acres of land owned at least in part by California Forever caught fire near Interstate 12 Tuesday afternoon, prompting a four-alarm response from several local fire and law enforcement agencies.

Sergeant Rexhall Hawkins of the Solano County Sheriff's Department said 470 acres of vegetation caught fire in the area around noon.

Law enforcement was called in to help keep traffic moving as the fire engulfed the roadway. Highway 12 was closed in both directions for most of the early afternoon, but was reopened by 3 p.m.

By 1:30 p.m., only 25 acres had burned, but the fire spread quickly as winds initially hampered efforts to fight the flames. Shortly before 2 p.m., fire crews on scene requested air support. Crews from Cal Fire, Fairfield, Suisun, Dixon, Benicia and Vacaville all assisted in efforts to stop the blaze, and units from the Solano County Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol also responded.

“We are aware of a grassland fire on one of our properties near Denverton, which is leased to a local rancher under a long-term lease,” California Forever said in a statement about the fire. “We have spoken to fire crews on scene and county officials, and have offered to assist if needed. We are extremely grateful to the first responders in Solano County for their tireless work.”