Large brush fire burning in Antioch prompts evacuation warnings

Brush fire prompts evacuations in Antioch
A brush fire sparked off Somerville Road and rapidly grew to more than 200 acres, leading fire authorities to issue evacuation warnings for residents near the site of the blaze.
ANTIOCH, Calif. - A more than 290-acre brush fire was burning in Antioch and threatening structures on Wednesday night, though hours later, crews had a handle on the blaze.
The fire sparked just after 7:05 p.m. off of Somerville Road, according to Cal Fire and the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
Con Fire officials say the fire started inside Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. Officials say several neighborhoods in the area were threatened--and in some instances the fire actually got into some backyards--but no houses were damaged.
Con Fire says four people had to be transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
Evacuation orders were issued for those in Mira Vista Hills Park, but those orders were lifted about 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
What they're saying:
Neighborhs were rattled.
"I opened the door and saw a lot of smoke," said George Johnson, who decided to evacuate from his home out of an abundance of caution. "Normally it’s clear up here, so when it's fire and you get that dark smoke, it was a little bit too darker than it normally is at the time."
George said he told his wife, Lucia, once he started to smell smoke, and she began to grab household items so they could make their way to safety.
"It was very scary, very scary," Lucia Johnson said. "I just grabbed our things and prayed and got out as quickly as we could."
The Source: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, Cal Fire, KTVU interviews