Crime & Safety
Brush Fire Closes Northbound 101 at San Antonio Road
Vehicle strikes utility pole, knocking down power lines near the county line. Lanes are open but traffic is backed up and 3000 homes in Petaluma are without power.
A vegetation fire near U.S. Highway 101 in between Novato and Petaluma is mostly contained, and traffic is flowing again this afternoon, Marin County fire and California Highway Patrol officials said.
The fire, reported near San Antonio Road around 2:40 p.m., has charred about 35 acres, fire officials said.
No structures are threatened by the blaze, fire officials said. A Sig-alert was issued at 3:03 p.m. for all northbound traffic on Highway 101 between Atherton Avenue and San Antonio Road.
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Smoky conditions prompted a shutdown of all northbound lanes, CHP Officer Marc Johnston said.
The alert was canceled at 3:37 p.m. and the Atherton Avenue on-ramp, which had been closed, was reopened, Johnston said.
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The CHP reported that traffic was still backed up in the area despite the freeway opening.
According to the Novato Fire Protection District Facebook page, a vehicle accident into a power pole caused the fallen power lines to set off a grass fire.
The department reported that three fire engines, one medic unit and two battalion chiefs worked with Marin County Fire and Cal Fire units on the blaze.
According to Petaluma Patch, power was knocked out to 3000 homes in the Petaluma area due to the vehicle accident.
-Bay City News contributed to this story.
