Mower sparks 60 acre fire in Paso Robles

June 14, 2018

A fire started by a lawn mower burned 60 acres in rural Paso Robles Wednesday, causing evacuations and road closures.

The blaze broke out in the early afternoon at 4213 Buena Vista Drive, according to Cal Fire. The location is near the Paso Robles Airport, and smoke appeared to be blowing in the direction of the airport.

Hot, dry, windy conditions fueled the blaze, leading to authorities placing five homes on Buena Vista Drive under mandatory evacuation. Parts of Buena Vista Drive were also closed to traffic.

Firefighters battled the blaze from both the air and ground. They achieved full containment during the day and worked into the night mopping up hot spots.

Officials lifted the evacuation orders and reopened the sections of road that were closed.

Cal Fire says the blaze is one of five fires caused by mowers in the last two weeks. Fire officials say mowers are designed for lawns, not weeds, and at this time of year, residents should mow before 10 a.m.

In addition to the mower-caused blazes, there were at least four fires on the Central Coast in a 24-hour span on Monday and Tuesday, as fire season appears to have returned.

While battling Wednesday’s blaze, Cal Fire received assistance from the Paso Robles, Templeton, Camp Roberts, Atascadero and San Miguel fire departments.