FAIRFIELD — A smoky wild land fire near Fairfield in Solano County cast an eerie veil of smoke over Santa Cruz County Sunday.
The fire burned more than seven square miles and was about 70 percent contained on Monday.
The Cal Fire Command Post received more than 200 calls Sunday by concerned residents thinking the fire was nearby. Gusty winds that kept up over most the day Sunday attributed to the heavy layer of drift smoke.
At one point the smoke was so heavy the California Highway Patrol was forced to shut down State Route 12 in both directions.
The blaze was one of several grass fires that broke out around the Bay Area on a breezy Sunday including a wild land fire in Santa Cruz that crept up into a mobile home at the Clear View mobile home park. Officials issued a red-flag alert, which warns of dire fire conditions due to high winds and low humidity, that was scheduled to end 9 a.m. Monday.
