Evacuations ordered, I-5 lanes closed for grass fire burning in Dunnigan, Yolo Co.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued after a grass fire sparked near Dunnigan in northwest Yolo County, prompting the closure of southbound Interstate 5 near the Yolo-Colusa county line.
The fire was reported at about 1:22 p.m. near Dunnigan, according to the California Highway Patrol, and has burned at least 15 acres according to the Dunnigan Fire Protection District. By 3:05 p.m., FIRIS mapped the blaze to 16.9 acres.
According to the California Highway Patrol, a caller reported two separate fires burning about a quarter-mile apart — one involving eucalyptus trees and one in a field. Another caller reported the fire was spreading, and that black smoke was covering the northbound side of Interstate 5.
Evacuation orders were issued shortly after 2:30 p.m. for residents in the area bounded by County Roads 2, 6 and 88 and Interstate 5. A mandatory evacuation order indicates there is an immediate threat to life and residents must leave the area immediately.
An evacuation center was established at Fire Station 12, 29145 Main St. in Dunnigan.
188 PG&E customers also lost power around 2:15 p.m. after the blaze erupted, according to PG&E’s outage center. Crews were still working to restore electricity for the affected homes and businesses just after 3:30 p.m.
The fire also forced the closure of southbound Interstate 5 near the Yolo-Colusa county line. The CHP’s Williams office said traffic is being diverted onto County Road 99W.
Initial CHP logs indicated a caller reported the fire may have started after a black pickup truck suffered a tire blowout, spun off the roadway and caught fire. Officials have not confirmed the cause of the blaze.
This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 2:54 PM.
