Firefighters are battling a large hay fire burning near the Sacramento International Airport.
The fire began just after 4 a.m. near northbound Highway 99 south of Elverta Road, Sacramento fire Capt. Chad Augustin said.
The fire is burning a huge pile of hay, which is a challenging type of grass fire for crews to battle, he said.
"The problem with hay stack fires is they're so dense, it's almost painstaking because you have to break every little piece down," he said, adding that it also typically takes hours to fully extinguish hay fires.
Augustin said crews are "getting a good knock-down on it," but likely will be on scene for several hours.
The fire is not blowing toward the airport and is not affecting air traffic or traffic along Highway 99, he said.
Firefighters from Sacramento and West Sacramento fire are on scene. Firefighters from Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District were originally called to the fire, but have since been released, Augustin said.
Call The Bee's Niesha Lofing, (916) 321-1270.
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