Crews working to contain large brush fire near Livermore
LIVERMORE, Calif. (KGO) -- Over 250 firefighters are battling a wind-driven brush fire that has burned 2,500 acres and is 25 percent contained.
The fire is burning east of Livermore in unincorporated Alameda County, where it is sparsely populated.
The first call came in at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, near Tesla and Corral Hollow roads.
VIDEO: Fast-moving fire burns 2,500-acres east of Livermore
The fire burned near and around homes, but only one uninhabited home was destroyed. The fire is now heading southeast, away from Livermore and Tracy. Officials say there is no immediate danger to towns in the area.
Crews said the fire was spreading quickly and they couldn't get all the help they needed because there are so many fires burning in California.
PHOTOS: Crews battle fire near Livermore
Crews were able to save a home from being destroyed by the fire. "My backyard, my front yard, my house is seriously circled in fire," Livermore resident Nikki Olsen said.
Olsen said her family had just gotten home from a camping trip when she saw the smoke billowing outside. She said when they saw the flames they could feel the heat and she knew it was time to pack the car. "Lived here for almost eight years, I've been through two fires, but it has been on this side and this is first time it has effected my house, my house is just black all around. I'm not from here, I'm from Oklahoma and this is what I have called home," she said.
"We should have had two to three crews on initial attack coming out of the gate and we had one. I asked for an additional five and they said none available," Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Martin said.
Martin has been working for over 30 days and didn't sleep Wednesday night, but the chief says local firefighters have been a huge help and they're proud of the homes they did save and the progress they made. "We did a lot of good work with reduced resources," Martin said.
Olsen came to a Thursday morning briefing to tell them just how much their work meant to her and her family. "Thank you for saving my house, saving the other houses because there's other people who live out here. They put their life on the line just like police officers," she said.
Martin asked for more resources Thursday, but he was told there were none.
Fire officials are worried the fire will try to test their containment lines in the afternoon when the wind moves in.
VIDEO: Viewers sent in photos of smoke seen from Livermore
Bay City news contributed to this report.
