Fire jumps Highway 101 in Atascadero
July 29, 2016
Traffic was crawling at a snail’s pace on Highway 101 in both directions as fire personnel battled the blaze. Photo by Richard Bastian
A grass fire jumped Highway 101 in Atascadero Thursday evening, burning an abandoned house and leading to a temporary closure of the freeway in both directions. The fire burned a total of about eight acres.
The blaze started shortly before 2 p.m. on the west side of Highway 101 near Del Rio Road. The fire then jumped to the east side of the highway.
As the fire spread to the other side of the highway, it burned grass as well as an abandoned home next to El Camino Mini-Storage. Firefighters battled the house fire, as well as grass fires on both sides of the highway.
Authorities closed Highway 101 in both directions as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. Officials also closed an approximately half mile stretch of El Camion Real north of Del Rio Road.
Firefighters fully contained the blaze within two hours. The area remained smoky, though, at the time of containment.
No one suffered injuries as a result of the fire. The abandoned house sustained moderate to major damage.
It is unclear what caused the blaze.
Fire crews knocking down flames that reached the back portion of a home on El Camino Real north of De Rio Road. Photo by Richard Bastian @newscruzer1
Cal Fire firefighter helps knock down a blaze threatening to spread across the Highway 101 off-ramp at Deo Rio Road. Photo by Richard Bastian @newscruzer1
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