BENICIA — Firefighters were working to contain a multiple-alarm grass fire Wednesday evening west of Interstate 680 that could be seen from parts of the East Bay, authorities said.

The fire began around 4:40 p.m. in the 2000 block of Lake Herman Road close to Channel Road, and picked up second- and third-alarms within a half hour as multiple firefighting agencies from around Solano County sent resources.

SUISUN CITY, CALIFORNIA - JULY 13: Smoke from a vegetation fire in Benicia is seen from Collinsville Road in Suisun City, Calif., on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SUISUN CITY, CALIFORNIA – JULY 13: Smoke from a vegetation fire in Benicia is seen from Collinsville Road in Suisun City, Calif., on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

By 5:30 p.m., authorities closed Lake Herman in both directions after flames reportedly jumped the roadway. Preliminary estimates of the fire said 50 acres were burned with no containment yet, but Cal Fire updated that around 6:10 p.m. to 60 acres and 30 percent containment.

As of 7:20 p.m., Cal Fire pegged the blaze at about 115 acres with 40 percent containment, with flames’ forward progress stopped due in part to robust mutual-aid responses and favorable weather conditions. By 10:45 p.m., containment had risen to 80 percent.

There were no initial reports of any threatened structures or evacuations, and a cause was under investigation.

Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.

Source: www.mercurynews.com