Grass Fire At Hwy 4, I-680 Spreads To Pacheco Storage Facility

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — A two-alarm grass fire Tuesday in Pacheco spread to a storage complex and left dozens of units damaged, according to a manager for the business. The fire, which began as a grass fire near the junction of state Highway 4 and Interstate Highway 680, damaged an estimated 40 to 50 units at Pacheco Mini Storage, manager Kelly van Schaik said.

The exact amount of units damaged is still not determined because customers must be present in order to open their unit, van Schaik said Wednesday. Pacheco Mini Storage has started calling customers with affected and possibly affected units.

The fire in the grass between the highway and the storage facility was reported at 2:42 p.m. Tuesday.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, but Contra Costa County Fire Protection District spokesman Steve Hill said Tuesday that many fires of this type "are started by human activity," particularly along a highway where a tossed cigarette or vehicle malfunction can quickly spark dry vegetation.

"These are very high fire-danger times and it's going to be worse between now and October," he said. "We need people to be responsible."

No injuries were reported in the fire.

—Bay City News Service