Mowed Grass Helps Slow Spread Of Fire Near Joe Rodota Trail: SRFD

SANTA ROSA, CA — Mowed grass significantly helped slow the spread of a grass fire Wednesday afternoon near the Joe Rodota Trail in west Santa Rosa, the Santa Rosa Fire Department said.

Around 1:45 p.m., the fire department got several calls about the blaze west of Llano Road and when the first unit got to the scene, 2 acres of mowed grass was burning south of the trail on Santa Rosa Water Agency Property, SRFD Division Chief Steve Suter said.

"The location made finding access for the fire crews difficult," Suter said. "The winds were swirling and pushing the fire into the brush and trees along the Laguna de Santa Rosa creek, causing the command team to request additional resources including aircraft and dozers."

Using a combination of resources, firefighters stopped the forward progress of the fire by 2:36 p.m.; by 3:07 p.m., it was contained to 5.5 acres.

"Some of the engines at this fire were immediately released to respond to other fires in Bodega, Graton and Sonoma that occurred a short time later," Suter said.

A total of nine engines, four water tenders, four chief officers, three fire investigators and two police officers responded, and all were released from the scene by 5 p.m.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Suter said.

"The mowed grass helped to significantly slow the spread of fire and allow firefighters to contain it even in windy conditions."