A five-alarm brush fire in Oakland, California named the Keller Fire sparked evacuation orders as it burned two homes on Friday. The fire started in a home on Mountain Avenue and spread to a grove of Eucalyptus trees, growing to 15 acres. As of Saturday morning, the fire was 50% contained. Crews were working aggressively to fully extinguish the blaze, with Fire Chief Damon Covington stating that although they were able to stop its forward progress, there was still a lot of work to be done. Two homes were impacted by the flames, while dozens of others were threatened but not damaged. Evacuation orders were initially issued for Campus Drive and Crystal Ridge Court and later expanded to surrounding areas. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao urged those being evacuated to leave immediately to protect their health. Delane Sims, whose home was one of the two damaged, expressed gratitude that her husband was able to escape when the landscape caught on fire and caused a front window to explode, stating, “I thank God for that.”
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Fires in Oakland Hills, California Destroy 2 Homes and Trigger Evacuations
