Firefighters late Friday were making significant progress in containing a four-alarm brush fire that prompted evacuations in Concord. Cheryl Hurd reports.
A brush fire that prompted evacuations in Concord Friday restarted again Saturday.
The blaze burned at least 268 acres off Ygnacio Valley Road Friday night and it was contained Saturday morning but firefighters say the wind may have caused the fire to restarted before noon, burning another acre of grass before it was eventually put out again.
Evacuation orders from the Contra Costa County Office of Emergency Services for areas near Montecito and Crystal Ranch drives were lifted.
Fire officials said the blaze initially started off as three small fires caused by a truck with mechanical isses backfiring causing sparks, and merged into one large fire around 3:40 p.m.
"I just kept thinking of Napa it just made me reminiscent of that," said Concord resident Carol Ann Elmore.
Elmore saw the fire coming over the hill through the window as she got ready for a concert.
"I saw the flames coming right over there and then the smoke this is all our property," she said.
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Elmore grabbed her late son Nico's photos and tapes before leaving her home, not knowing if it was going to make it.
"It was like something from a movie, ash was everywhere it was gray soot everywhere," she said.
Several strike teams are en route to help assist crew with extinguishing the blaze. Officials said firefighters saved multiple homes that were threatened at Crystal Ranch and fire crews lifted the evacuations hours later.
"We categorized it as moderately fast moving but for the residents here it looked like it was moving pretty fast," said Steve Hill from the Contra Costa County Fire Department.
Saturday's temperatures are expected to reach close to 100 degrees and firefigthers are also concerned with the 4th of July coming up.
"We don’t want people using fireworks at all," Hill said. "If they use fireworks that is a crime and we will come after people for that."
