A wildfire in Oakland has consumed two homes and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of people due to strong winds that ranged from calm breezes to gusts reaching 64 km/h (40 mph) last Friday. Firefighters have been battling the blaze and are expected to continue their efforts throughout the night and into at least Sunday morning, according to Fire Chief Damon Covington.
Emergency calls were received around 1:30 PM on Friday alerting about the fire in the Oakland hills. More than 100 firefighters were deployed to contain the rapidly spreading flames. Although some evacuation orders have been lifted, many residents still cannot return to their homes until the situation is completely under control.
In addition to extinguishing the fire, firefighters are working on the removal of eucalyptus trees that pose a risk to homes due to their bark and oils making them prone to igniting. Authorities have issued red flag warnings for fire danger across a large area stretching from the central coast to northern Shasta County.
Winds remain a challenge for firefighters, although they have been combating them since their arrival. These problematic winds are expected to persist, but efforts will continue to prevent the fire from reigniting and spreading again. The fire has also caused the temporary closure of westbound lanes on Interstate 580, although traffic was later restored. Winds in the area are variable, which poses an additional challenge for emergency teams.