FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — On Friday, a large grass fire burned about 20 acres in a Southwest Fresno field near Gaston Middle School, several homes and apartments.<\/p>\n
“It started like very little from far, far away. And then it started getting bigger and bigger, closer and closer,” said Anabella Hernandez, whose home was threatened by the fire.<\/p>\n
The Fresno Fire Department responded to calls of flames they say started at Church and Clara Avenues around 1:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
“Crews arrived to find that there was a large field with an active fire burning,” said Fresno Fire spokesperson Josh Sellers.<\/p>\n
Officials say 28 firefighters battled the blaze.<\/p>\n
Several of them worked as a large cloud of smoke that could be seen for miles, surrounding them.<\/p>\n
Fire units were seen driving across the field as nearby firefighters worked to protect an apartment complex and multiple homes threatened by the fire.<\/p>\n
“Crews have been able to keep the fire kind of in check and prevent the fire from extending to those buildings,” said Sellers.<\/p>\n
“I’m very thankful for the firefighters, because without them the fire wouldn’t have been gone,” said Hernandez.<\/p>\n
Action News was on scene as crews were finishing their initial work, which is when they were alerted to another fire just down the road.<\/p>\n
One of the Fresno Fire Department’s trucks pulled away from the first scene to respond to the second blaze, but soon after, they learned the other fire fell under the Fresno County Fire Department’s jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
“There were reports of a house fire and then once the first arriving engine arrived, they noticed it was just a grass fire running through some eucalyptus trees and some debris,” said Gary Couch, a spokesperson for Fresno County Fire.<\/p>\n
The second fire burned about two acres.<\/p>\n
Both city and county fire officials say they have been seeing a significant increase in grass fires with the recent onset of summer-like heat.<\/p>\n
“With the increased temperatures, this becomes another challenge that the firefighters have to work with,” said Sellers.<\/p>\n
Sellers said the grass fire near Church and Clara Avenues was one of the largest Fresno Fire has seen so far this year, and that it was the 510th grass fire in 2026.<\/p>\n
He said that marks a 32% increase in grass fires compared to this time last year.<\/p>\n
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