Dozens of firefighters were working Friday to put out a large fast-moving brush fire that threatened homes in the Oakland hills in California and sparked evacuations of hundreds of residents amid extremely dry and gusty conditions.
At least 10 structures were damaged in the blaze, which spread to about 13 acres, and residents of more than 200 nearby homes were ordered to evacuate, said Oakland Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hunt.
More than 100 firefighters from the Oakland Fire Department and nearby areas were working to put out the fire. In an update shortly before 4 p.m. local time, the Oakland Fire Department said crews had managed to stop the forward progress of the fire.
There were no reported injuries.
Earlier, officials said Oakland police officers were going door-to-door telling residents to evacuate.
An air tanker drops retardant on a grass fire burning above Interstate 580 in Oakland, Calif., Oct. 18, 2024.
Noah Berger/AP
Video released by the Oakland Fire Department on social media platform X showed firefighters hosing down a smoldering front lawn and flames showing from the roof of a home.
Video from the ABC-owned San Francisco station KGO showed columns of smoke billowing into the air above the Oakland hills near Interstate 580.
Part of the interstate was temporarily closed in the area, the California Highway Patrol said.
The fire broke out amid a string of very windy and dry conditions, which had prompted a “Red Flag” warning for the risk of brush fires.
