Wind-driven fire on Hwy. 41 threatens Fresno warehouses, officials say

Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
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• A wind-driven grass fire near Highway 41 threatened at least eight Fresno warehouses.
• About 70 firefighters contained the blaze after two warehouse units suffered minor damage.
• Railroad traffic was temporarily halted and fire crews remained to mop up hotspots.

A fast-moving grass fire near Highway 41 in Fresno threatened several warehouses on Saturday before firefighters quickly stopped the flames from spreading further.

The fire broke out around 2:15 p.m. near Highway 41 and O Street on the north side of the freeway.

Fresno Fire spokesperson Josh Sellers said strong winds pushed the flames across the highway and into a grass field between roadways and warehouses located between O Street and Santa Fe Avenue.

The fire threatened at least eight warehouses in the area.

Sellers said two warehouse units sustained minor damage, but firefighters were able to quickly contain and extinguish the flames before the buildings became heavily involved.

“Crews did a fantastic job,” Sellers said. “They basically saved every warehouse that was threatened.”

About 70 firefighters responded to the scene.

During the firefight, railroad traffic in the area was temporarily shut down as crews worked on both sides of the tracks to contain the blaze.

Because of the large response and another incident elsewhere in the city, Fresno Fire temporarily suspended responses to medical aid calls.

Sellers said normal emergency-response operations have since resumed.

Smoke from the fire created visibility concerns for drivers along Highway 41.

“Anytime you have smoke laying down and obstructing drivers’ views, that’s always a hazard,” Sellers said. “We always tell everyone to slow down and move over.”

Winds were blowing from the northwest to the southeast, pushing smoke and embers toward the Butler Avenue area, according to Sellers.

Fire crews were expected to remain at the scene for several hours.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.