By Sara Beth Williams–
What began as a half-acre vegetation fire quickly spread to reach up to 1.5 acres Tuesday afternoon, according to fire officials.
Just before 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, fire crews responded to a grassfire originally reported to be coming from Escallonia Drive in Citrus Heights. To the west of Escallonia Drive, a bike trail runs alongside a greenbelt area, which, according to Google Maps, is located in Orangevale. Neighborhoods on either side of the greenbelt, north of Oakenshaw Way, are still located in Citrus Heights. Homes east of Cross Drive, south of Oakenshaw Way, and west of the greenbelt behind Escallonia Drive are in Orangevale.
Officials initially said the fire was only half an acre, but over time the fire grew to a total of 1.5 acres, officials confirmed, before being fully contained and extinguished. Residents in both jurisdictions reported seeing and smelling smoke in the air. Video shared by Sacramento Metro Fire District officials showed charred, smoldering grass in a small area of the greenbelt. Crews spent almost three hours extinguishing the grassfire.
No structures were threatened, officials said. The fire is still under investigation.
