Firefighters quell Back Bay fire

Newport Beach firefighters doused a small fire in the Back Bay on Tuesday morning.

Two engines responded around 5:45 a.m. to a 50-by-50-foot area of grass that was burning on the west side of the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, Battalion Chief Ron Gamble said.

The flames were deep into the preserve, almost to the bay, and firefighters accessed the area from a service road near Irvine Avenue and 23rd Street, Gamble said.

Faced with favorable conditions, crews were able to quickly knock down the blaze using mostly hand tools, according to the Fire Department.

“It’s pretty wet and damp in there,” Gamble said.

Someone must have sparked the dry tops of grass in the area to start the flames, he said. Crews on Tuesday were looking into the exact cause and whether the blaze was intentionally set.

The Newport Beach Police Department is also investigating what caused a fire in the Back Bay that burned 3 to 5 acres of vegetation last week.

That fire, near Jamboree Road and Bayview Way, was close enough to buildings to briefly require evacuations.

Nobody was hurt in either blaze.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck