Several wildfires flared up Tuesday morning in Sacramento County, filling the air with smoke across the region and forcing road closures as firefighters rushed to keep flames away from homes.
The first blaze, called the Brown Fire, was reported shortly after 7:30 a.m. along the 8900 block of Ione Road near the Amador County line. Flames moved quickly to the west, prompting crews to stage engines for structure protection. By 8 a.m., the blaze had covered 20 acres. Officials later confirmed the fire had grown to 60 acres before forward progress was stopped at 9:48 a.m. Containment of the blaze had not yet been reported. California Highway Patrol officers closed Ione Road between Highway 16 and Meiss Road while firefighting operations continued.
Not long after, the Rock Fire broke out roughly 10 miles to the west on Scott Road north of Highway 16. By 8:30 a.m., that fire had also grown to about 25 acres. Earlier in the day, firefighters had knocked down the Copper Fire, which reached 11 acres before its spread was stopped.
Cal Fire confirmed to Folsom Times that 59 lightning strikes were recorded across the region Tuesday morning. While investigators have not yet determined the exact cause of each fire, officials said lightning is strongly suspected in sparking several of the blazes.
Weather conditions at the time included mid-70s temperatures, light winds, and scattered showers mixed with thunder and lightning. Fire commanders said one of the fires may have started when a strike hit a power pole, though official investigations are still underway.
Air quality monitors registered an increase in fine particulate matter as smoke drifted into populated areas. Health officials advise sensitive groups to limit outdoor activity and stay indoors if they notice coughing, wheezing, or other respiratory symptoms.
The Sacramento region was not the only area dealing with fire Tuesday. In Stanislaus County, a separate incident known as the 2-2 Fire had already burned 400 acres by midmorning near the Calaveras County line.
State officials anticipated the dangerous combination of dry fuels and lightning. On Monday, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services pre-positioned additional strike teams in El Dorado and several other Northern California counties in preparation for the elevated fire risk.
Smoke is expected to linger into the afternoon, with thunderstorms possible later in the day that could bring both relief and renewed fire danger. Residents are urged to stay alert to emergency updates and to be cautious on the roads where closures and fire crews remain in place.
Copyright © 2025, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
