Dozens of firefighters worked Friday to extinguish a large, fast-moving brush fire that threatened hundreds of homes in California’s Oakland Hills and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents in extremely dry and windy conditions.
At least two structures were damaged, though neither was completely destroyed in the fire, which spread to about 13 acres, Oakland Fire Department Chief Damon Covington told reporters at a news conference near the scene.
“We have stopped the progress of the fire,” Covington said. “We still have a lot of work to do to dry up, but we’re in much better shape than we were two hours ago.”
At one point, residents of more than 200 nearby homes were ordered to evacuate, according to the fire department.
More than 100 firefighters from the Oakland Fire Department and surrounding areas worked to extinguish the fast-moving fire.
No injuries were reported.
The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. local time near a home in the Keller Mountain Boulevard area. A resident inside heard an explosion, which was one of his windows exploding, but he was able to escape to safety, Covington said.
The fire spread quickly due to gusty winds. The fire broke out in very windy and dry conditions, prompting a “red flag” fire risk warning.
– When we got to the scene, it was a wind-driven fire, says the fire chief. “The wind whipped.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Video released by the Oakland Fire Department on social media platform X earlier Friday showed firefighters dousing a smoldering front lawn and flames emerging from the roof of a home.
Earlier, officials said Oakland police officers went door-to-door telling residents to evacuate.
Video from ABC-owned San Francisco station KGO showed plumes of smoke billowing into the air above the Oakland hills near Interstate 580.
A portion of the highway was temporarily closed in the area, the California Highway Patrol said.