SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. --

A pile of burned tires was mistaken for a horse carcass at a two-alarm grass fire Monday morning north of Elk Grove.

Smoke from a two-alarm grass fire in Elk Grove can be seen from downtown Sacramento.

Two separate blazes -- one 5 acres, the other 10 acres -- burned near the 9700 block of Carmencita Avenue, off Bradshaw and Gerber.

Huge clouds of white smoke could be seen from downtown Sacramento as the fires raged. It took firefighters about 30 minutes to get the fires under control.

No livestock was lost, but one resident was evaluated for smoke inhalation. That person went to a hospital for treatment.

Firefighters said they think the blaze ignited when a Mylar balloon got stuck in power lines and caused some sparks.

"It was terrifying," resident Stacie Onyon said. "I called the fire department, and because we have well water, there was no way for me to do anything because once the power goes out, the well goes out."

Ten structures and some homes were threatened by fire, but firefighters were able to keep them safe.

The fire department said neighbors did a good job of keeping good defensible space.