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Sunol's 'Little Fire': All evacuation orders lifted
On late Wednesday afternoon, authorities lifted all evacuation orders for the 'Little Fire' burning in the Sunol Valley.
SUNOL, Calif. - Residents were allowed back into their homes Wednesday after authorities lifted all evacuation orders around a vegetation fire burning in the Sunol Valley.
Firefighters continued working to increase containment of the "Little Fire" which has scorched more than 1,000 acres and was 40% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Firefighter injured after engine overturns
What we know:
No structures were damaged in the fire, officials said. However, a firefighter was injured when the fire engine they were riding in overturned near Ruby Hills Drive while responding to the blaze.
"We had a fire engine roll on steep terrain while it was engaging a hot spot behind the structures here," Cal Fire Incident Commander Alex Mikesell said. "The firefighter was inside when it rolled. He had minor injuries and was released from the hospital later that evening."
Cal Fire SCU first reported the Little Fire at about 2:54 p.m. on Tuesday near Little Valley Road and Hubbard Lane, south of Pleasanton near the Ruby Hill Golf Club.
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Fire crews make progress on Sunol grass fire, 1 firefighter reportedly injured
An engine that was assisting the Sunol wildfire rolled over down an embankment injuring one firefighter. The steep terrain, dry brush and windy conditions make it difficult for crews to contain this fire that's at 40% containment. More here: https://www.ktvu.com/news/little-fire-sunol-valley-40-contained-some-evacuation-orders-lifted
Fast response credited with protecting homes
What they're saying:
Fire officials said steep terrain, dry vegetation and windy conditions made the fire difficult to contain.
Wendy McGee, who documented her family's evacuation on social media, said they were among the first residents ordered to leave.
"We were one of the first ones to be evacuated — live at the highest point," McGee said. "You could see the flames coming towards us. So it was just a matter of time before it was going to hit the house."
Cal Fire officials said a rapid, coordinated response from fire agencies across the nine-county Bay Area prevented the flames from reaching nearby homes in Pleasanton.
"There's never a good location for a fire, but the number of resources that were available did help us out in the long run," Mikesell said. "We were able to stop it from encroaching and burning down structures."
Cause under investigation
What we don't know:
Officials have not said when they expect the fire to reach full containment. That progress will depend largely on weather conditions and wind.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Cal Fire said the blaze was fueled by dry brush and high temperatures.
The fire ignited as a National Weather Service heat advisory was in effect for parts of the Bay Area amid the influence of Tropical Storm Elida.
The Source: Cal Fire