Santa Rosa grass fire blamed on lawn mower

Firefighters blamed a lawn mower for sparking a grass fire that threatened homes in Santa Rosa Wednesday afternoon.

The 2-acre fire was reported around noon in a dry field on Burbank Avenue, between Hughes Avenue and Liana Drive McMinn Avenue, according to the Santa Rosa Fire Department.

Officials say the lawn mower was being used to take down “tall, dry grass” in the field when the fire ignited.

Flames scorched an acre by the time the first group of firefighters got to the scene and flames burned east toward McMinn Avenue, which is parallel to Burbank and is lined with several homes.

Firefighters battled the fire from the homes’ backyards and prevented any of them from being damaged, according to the Fire Department.

It took about 20 minutes for them to have the fire under control.

High temperatures approached 100 degrees when the fire occurred and the Fire Department advises people not to use lawn mowers during warm periods.

“Mowing should occur on cooler days, and in the morning hours, as mowers can easily strike rocks and spark a fire,” the Fire Department reported.