One of the biggest challenges fire crews faced was the steepness of the mountainside. The fire burned through a residential park and had people on edge.
"If the wind starts to come up, that particular little fire, that looks like a little nothing fire right now, could be something that none us wants to see," said Batt. Chief Dave George, Contra Costa County Fire.
East Bay fire crews aren't taking any chances. This two-acre fire in Lafayette was contained within 45 minutes, but crews will stay on the scene all day to make sure that all the hot spots are put out.
"You are looking at a ticking time bomb in a sense at the same time - where we see a flat easy to get to area of grass that is burning - that is not the case at all," said George.
The fire burned the underbrush on Virginia Avalon's property. She rents out a home there and was shaken up while watching flames shoot into the sky.
"We were on our way to the doctor and we go by our road where we own some property and we see smoke on it. I can't tell you - I'm just petrified, because there is a house up there," said Avalon.
Firefighters say the defensible saved the house. Officials can only point to the dry conditions for an explanation.
"I don't know what to make of it when we have a bunch of these little things that happen. Especially when they happen so early. Realizing we are in the Red Flag situation today that does accelerate things right here," said George.
At this point, fire crews have not determined the cause of the fire.
