Fire erupts in Salinas Riverbed, sending column of smoke over Paso Robles
Crews responded to a vegetation fire in the Salinas Riverbed that sent a column of smoke over Paso Robles on Thursday afternoon.
The fire, which was reported at 4:53 p.m., had burned half an acre of light grass on the east side of the riverbed north of the Niblick Bridge, according to the emergency response app Watch Duty.
It sent up a column of smoke to the south over the Walmart shopping center.
By 5:08 p.m., the fire had grown and was pushing up against the bridge, the app said.
At 5:11 p.m. one additional hand crew and three fire engines were requested, according to the app.
Forward progress was stopped at 5:36 p.m., the app said. Eastbound Niblick Road closed during the fire response and was then re-opened.
According to the Paso Robles Fire Department, the fire ultimately burned about three acres by the time it was contained.
In total, 65 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was knocked down in less than an hour.
The responding resources included three fire engines from Paso Robles and five additional fire engines, one bulldozer, two hand crews, one battalion chief and one air attack plane from other San Luis Obispo County cities and Cal Fire, the Paso fire department said in a news release.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM.
