Training burns scheduled for American River Parkway

Firefighters are conducting training burns along the American River Parkway for about a month.

A Sacramento Fire Department spokesman alerted motorists Tuesday that the smoke they see while on the Capital City Freeway, Highway 160 and Exposition Boulevard could very well be from the training burns.

The burns are designed to train several hundred firefighters. The training sessions will take place over the next four weeks between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., primarily on weekdays.

A big fire on the Fourth of July last year burned 160 acres behind the Cal Expo fairgrounds.

South of the parkway Monday near Discovery Park, a two-alarm grass fire along Interstate 5 forced the temporary closure of an off-ramp at Richards Boulevard, authorities said.

David Cove, 46, was arrested at 4:42 p.m. on suspicion of possession of drugs, an outstanding warrant and arson, according to the Sacramento Police Department. Officers made contact with Cove as he was walking northbound on I-5 near Richards Boulevard, police said.

This story was originally published May 26, 2015 at 8:28 AM with the headline "Training burns scheduled for American River Parkway."