SACRAMENTO – Business 80 was closed as firefighters battled a grass fire near Cal Expo in Sacramento on Sunday afternoon.
The Sacramento Fire Department said the fire burned about three acres and spread onto the highway.
Fire department spokesman Justin Sylvia said very dense vegetation made it difficult for firefighters to get hoses and engines to the scene of the fire.
Sylvia said the black smoke people saw was not just from burning grass and vegetation but could also be from a homeless camp burning.
Sylvia said investigators were on the scene because there was a suspect at a homeless encampment and they will also be speaking with witnesses to determine if the fire was accidental or intentional.
A helicopter could be seen spraying water on the surface of the water, and Sylvia said the helicopter was helpful because the fire was difficult to access and there were no fire hydrants in the area.
Traffic on Business 80 was stopped at Exposition Boulevard for southbound traffic and near the bridge over the American River for northbound traffic at about 4:45 p.m. Traffic resumed in both directions about 30 minutes later.
No injuries were reported.
