Kirker Fire breaks out amid multiple blazes in the Bay Area
Firefighters continued Friday to battle blazes across the Bay Area, including in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Solano and Santa Cruz counties.
Some fires had started earlier this week, including several Thursday, and at least one new fire started Friday. The Edgewood fire, near Redwood City, was almost completely contained.
The fires burned amid hot and dry conditions that were expected Friday to reach 99 degrees in Vacaville, 96 in Livermore, 93 in Pleasanton, 92 in Concord, 91 in San Jose and 84 in Redwood City. Those temps were 5-8 degrees lower than on Thursday. Temperatures were expected to be nearly identical today, according to the National Weather Service.
Contra Costa Fire Protection District fire crews were at the scene of a fire near a rural bypass road that began burning just before 1 p.m. Friday. One official said the grass fire was “rapidly spreading.” The fire was in its initial stages; there was no word immediately on whether any homes or other structures were in danger.
Cal Fire officials said in an update around 2:20 p.m. Friday that the blaze had consumed 75 acres and was 50% contained. Contra Costa Fire officials said about a half hour later that crews had stopped forward progress on the fire, which appeared to have been caused by a malfunctioning vehicle.
Fire officials urged motorists to avoid the area to give first responders unimpeded access.
The blaze was half contained by Friday morning and had reached 522 acres, according to Cal Fire. It was first reported at 5:39 p.m. Thursday near Tesla and Corral Hollow roads, 11 miles southeast of Livermore.
Authorities closed Tesla Road between Cross Road and Interstate 580. It remained closed early Friday afternoon.
There were no reported injuries or damage to structures, according to Cal Fire.
The Scenic Fire, burning in the area of Scenic and Canyon Lake drives in Port Costa, was 70% contained by 7:30 a.m. Friday. It had
burned 120 acres.
The blaze first was reported at 2:37 p.m. Thursday in the area of Scenic and Canyon Lake drives east of Crockett and prompted an evacuation warning for the entire town of Port Costa.
Around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, the entire town of roughly 250 residents was told to be ready to leave if things took a turn for the worse. The Crockett-Carquinez Fire Department lifted the warning two hours later, writing in a statement that crews were making “solid progress.”
The blaze was “stopped just short” of the town, the fire department said in another statement. Crews were expected to remain at the scene through the night Friday. No structures were burned, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire originally estimated
the fire as having burned 140 acres Thursday evening, but officials revised that estimate downward Friday morning.
The Canyon Fire was reported just after 1:45 p.m. Thursday on Kilkare Road north of Sunol.
As of 7:30 a.m. Friday, the fire covered 71 acres and was 20% contained, according to Cal Fire. The agency also revised an earlier statement, saying Friday that no buildings had been threatened or damaged.
According to Fremont Fire, one firefighter was hit by a falling tree Thursday after a water drop operation. The firefighter was released from the hospital Thursday night and expected to recover, the agency said.
The fire prompted mandatory evacuation orders for the Kilkare Road area in Sunol and the
Golden Eagle Estates in Pleasanton. The orders were lifted just before 7:40 p.m. Thursday.
The Edgewood Fire, near Redwood City, was at 98% containment Thursday evening, according to Cal Fire.
The fire had burned about 20 acres. At least four firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the blaze, according to Cal Fire. There has been no information made available on their conditions.
The blaze caused a major power outage at Stanford University that officials feared could last into the weekend. PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said Friday that power had been restored to most buildings on the Stanford campus by 6 p.m. Thursday.
A spokesperson for Stanford University was not available for comment Friday afternoon.
The Timm Fire was reported at 2:15 p.m. in the area of Buena Vista Lane and Timm Road, north of Vacaville in Solano County.
As of 9:30 p.m. Thursday, the fire covered 26 acres and was 80% contained, according to Cal Fire. There were no updates on the blaze Friday.
“Firefighters will be in the area for the next few hours working on containment and putting out hot spots,” the Cal Fire Lake-Sonoma-Napa Unit said in a statement Thursday night.
Evacuation orders were first issued at 2:30 p.m. and later expanded to all residents north of Cantelow Road, south of Peaceful Glen Road, east of English Hills Road and west of Timm Road. By 6 p.m., all of the orders were downgraded to warnings.