Dangerous Fairfield Grass Fires
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield personal injury lawyer. Two grass fires near fairfield on Thursday, June 1, 2017. Both were contained before they caused any injuries. The first was spotted in the afternoon and alerted authorities to conduct a partial evacuation of an apartment complex. This was due to the fire being a wind-aggravated four-alarm grass fire. It was located near the Pennsylvania Avenue exit on Highway 12.
A Fire Spotted
According to reports from officials of the Fairfield Fire Department, emergency dispatchers were first notified of the fire when a passerby phoned in to report a grass fire they had seen on the northern side of Highway 12 only a short distance west of the junction of Pennsylvania Avenue.
The fire was reportedly fueled by dried out grass in the area and spread due to strong northeasterly winds. When officers arrived at the scene, they noticed the fire spreading away from the highway and heading toward a residential area. As it spread further, it began to threaten an apartment complex located on Pennsylvania Avenue as well as fences of homes on James Street.
Emergency Evacuation
Officers of the Fairfield Police Department saw fit to vacate a portion of the apartment complex in order to prevent residents from receiving smoke-related traumatic injuries or from becoming trapped if the fire spread further.
The fire ultimately did reach within a few feet of the perimeter fence of the apartment buildings. However, in the end, no residencies, property, or persons were damaged or hurt by the fire.
Highway Shutdown and Containment
The fire was initially classified as a three-alarm fire but, when the blaze spread to a larger area and became more intense, officers raised the classification to a four-alarm and closed both sides of Highway 12 near where the fire was active.
Traffic was severely impacted by the highway shutdown, which began at about 5:04 p.m. Officers reported that as of 6:30 p.m., containment of the fire was “shaky.”
A Second Freeway Fire
The second of these two grass fires started near the California Highway Patrol (CHP) truck inspection facility in the area of Business Center Drive and Suisun Valley Road. The fire quickly classified as a three-alarm fire and threatened to damage the inspection facility. However, no damage was done due to a quick containment of the flames.
In conclusion, the blaze affected somewhere around 7 to 10 acres of grassland. However, no buildings were damaged because the fire was quickly contained. Additionally, due to the thickness of the smoke that the fire caused, the California Highway Patrol instituted a traffic break on the westbound section of highway Interstate 80 in order to ensure the safety of drivers and prevent dangerous accidents.
Burn Injuries
Grass fires like this present the risk of burn injuries. Burn injuries can be extremely painful and require extensive medical treatment including physical therapy and, in severe cases, even plastic surgery. It is important to be wary during fire season in order to avoid being seriously hurt.
Fairfield Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield personal injury lawyer. Auto accidents are usually totally unexpected and can leave those involved with serious consequences. If an auto accident has left you or somebody you care about with serious or even fatal injuries, call my office at (707) 427-1772 for friendly, free advice. Also, if you are outside of the area, you can dial (800) 404-5400 to reach me.
Since the year 1982, my team and I have been assisting residents of Fairfield in recovering what they are justly owed in their cases that involve wrongful death and personal injury.
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