Grass fire burns near waste management facility in Merced County

A vegetation fire near Highway 59 and Oakdale Road in Merced was stopped before it spread to a nearby landfill on Monday, fire officials said.

Mark Pimentel, battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Merced County, described the blaze as a grass fire sparked around noon Monday that burned about eight to 10 acres. By 12:30 p.m, 11 firefighters were working on containing the fire.

There were no injuries reported.

“There was danger of it extending to the waste treatment (management facility),” Pimentel said, “but we stopped it before it got out there.”

Pimentel said people should be extra vigilant especially with the current dry conditions.

Over the weekend, more than a dozen fires kept firefighters busy. Officials have confirmed that numerous firefighters from Merced, Atwater, Los Banos are also helping in battling the Willow fire in Madera County.

Firefighters have urged residents to be mindful of the dry conditions created by the ongoing drought. Residents are advised to avoid using equipment, such as lawnmowers, after 10 a.m. daily.

This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Grass fire burns near waste management facility in Merced County."