Four-alarm fire erupts in San Jose foothills

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose firefighters battled a four-alarm fire in the east foothills near the city's border Friday afternoon, according to officials.

San Jose Fire Capitan Daniel Vega said the fire was burning in a  rural area on the 2300 block of Pleasant Acres Drive near Klein Road. The fire was reported just after 4:00 p.m.

"There's something that just blew up in the backyard and ignited the trees," said Kim Furtavo, a neighbor who phoned the authorities. 

Vega said initial reports from the scene indicated a mobile-home  size trailer and junk vehicles are on fire and that propane tanks in the area may be feeding the blaze.

People in the area say the land looked like a junk yard and neighbors had been reportedly trying to get the city to crack down on the man who lived on the property. 

"We've been fighting with the city for about five years to get him to haul his vehicles out -- he's got about 50 vehicles in the back," said Thomas Blackburn, a neighbor. "We knew something like this would happen."

The collection of stuff surrounding the property contributed to the fire escalating and made the scene more dangerous for firefighters. 

"There was all sorts of combustibles around the property," said Captain Brad Clouter of the San Jose Fire Department. 

Witnesses tell KTVU they heard several explosions during the fire.