Cal Fire received a call about a grass fire at about 1:05 p.m. after the agency and Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation took part in an unrelated controlled burn at Joseph Grant County Park this morning in East San Jose, Cal Fire spokesman John Whiteside said.
The state agency dispatched 19 engines to the fire staged near 3486 Casa Loma Road in the San Jose city limits, Whiteside said.
Since the fire was in San Jose's jurisdiction, the San Jose Fire Department sent two units to the scene, Whiteside said.
The flames had burned about 50 acres as four Cal Fire aircraft flew over and dropped fire retardant, which helped to halt its spread along a ridge area, Whiteside said.
The fire first burned grass and then brush but so far has not threatened homes in the area off of Casa Loma Road, Whiteside said.
About 60 firefighters in four hand crew teams are using shovels to put out smoldering grass and brush, Whiteside said.
What caused the fire is not known, Whiteside said.
Cal Fire's office in Morgan Hill received many calls from concerned residents near Casa Loma Road after seeing smoke rising from the hills, Whiteside said.
