Fairfield Grass fire prompts rush-hour highway closure

Tuesday afternoon. The three alarm blaze was first reported at 4:20 p.m., burned four acres and shut down both directions of Highway 12 for more than an hour because of drift smoke. Photo by Brad Zweerink
FAIRFIELD – A three-alarm grass fire did little damage to property this afternoon but it destroyed the afternoon commute for thousands of motorists.

Firefighters swarmed to the fields alongside Highway 12 near Beck Avenue around 4:30 p.m. At 4:45 p.m., the California Highway Patrol declared a SIG Alert for the highway. Gusty winds blew smoke across the roadway, prompting the closure of the highway shortly after 5 p.m.

Westbound traffic lanes were reopened by 5:45 p.m. Eastbound traffic was slowly detoured onto Beck Avenue but not before hundreds of cars were backed up toward Interstate 80. By 6 p.m. one eastbound lane of traffic was reopened for groups of cars being escorted through the smoke.

Firefighters estimated that three to four acres of grass were scorched before firefighters contained the fast-moving flames.

Smoke from the fire, blown by strong winds, blanketed portions of downtown and East Fairfield. The cause of the fire had not been determined.

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