Aircraft help contain 7-acre fire near Sonoma

A grass fire that broke out on a dry hillside above the town of Sonoma around 2 p.m. Friday quickly raced up a hill toward a group of homes and vineyards.

Sonoma Valley firefighters responded to a report of a fire on a steep hillside near Lomita Avenue and immediately called in air support.

The fire raced toward Norrbom Road, which leads north of Sonoma to a group of several dozen homes in the Mission Highlands neighborhood.

The fire burned about 7 acres.

Several passes by air tankers dropping fire retardant and helicopters dumping buckets of water helped firefighters bring the blaze under control around 3:45 p.m., according to a Cal Fire dispatcher.

Crews were expected to remain on the scene for four to five hours, a dispatcher said.