In Sacramento on Sunday afternoon, a grass fire broke out near Cal Expo, spreading to about three acres and reaching the freeway. Firefighters were called in to contain the blaze, but the dense vegetation in the area made it difficult for them to access it with hoses and engines.
The thick black smoke that filled the air was a result of not only the grass and vegetation burning, but also homeless camps in the vicinity catching fire. Investigators are currently looking into potential persons of interest within the homeless encampment and will interview witnesses to determine the cause of the fire.
Due to the difficult terrain and lack of fire hydrants in the area, helicopters were deployed to make water drops. Traffic on Business 80 came to a halt near Exposition Boulevard for southbound vehicles and the bridge over the American River for northbound travelers, causing delays. Fortuitously, there have been no reports of injuries resulting from the fire.