MARE ISLAND (KCBS Radio) -- Firefighters battled a four-alarm brush fire Wednesday morning in the Mare Island Shoreline Heritage Preserve. Firefighters at the scene said it appeared to be caused by criminals trying to steal copper from electrical equipment.
Vallejo Fire Department spokesman Kevin Brown said investigators found evidence that power poles had been cut down. The evidence included saw blades found near a downed pole. Considering the hot, windy conditions, Brown called the situation "very frustrating".
First reports of smoke in the area came in at 3:10 AM and crews were dispatched to an active fire scene a half-hour later.
Several dozen firefighters responded. Within two hours, crews reported they had stopped the progress of the flames.
The Wednesday fire came barely a week after flames destroyed the commissary building that once served the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
