Brush fire comes frighteningly close to homes in Antioch as residents deal with mess from retardant
ANTIOCH, Calif. (KGO) -- Neighbors in the East Bay are describing the moments after a brush fire started spreading dangerously close to homes.
Families in Antioch are returning home and cleaning up some of the mess in their neighborhood. The fire started around 7 p.m. Wednesday on Somersville Road near the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve.
Crews worked through the night, and as of 1:45 p.m. Thursday, the fire is 100% contained, with forward progress stopped after burning 358 acres.
Fire officials said one person was transported to the hospital for minor injuries.
All evacuation orders have been lifted, and those who live in the area have come back to quite a mess, but they say there is a lot to be grateful for.
Drone video shows the burned hills frighteningly close to homes and the pink fire retardant that firefighters used to save them. The retardant is now covering the street and a row of homes in the neighborhood.
"There's quite a bit of cleanup that's going to be involved here," said Mike, one of the Antioch residents impacted. "It's going to be an all-day affair, if not tomorrow, too. It's in the backyard too, just as bad. But thank God we got this instead of the house burning down, right?"
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Many of the neighbors, like Cordell Bell, who lives near where the fire reached, weren't sure if their homes would make it.
"Last night, I get a call from my cousin who lives not too far from here, and basically I was coming from the gym, and they said, 'I think your house might be on fire, or the fire is close to your house,'" Bell said.
Bell and other neighbors ABC7 News talked to say that though they've always been worried about the fire risk, this is the closest call they've had.
"It really brought me to a point where anything can happen at any time," Bell said. "Always have your paperwork prepared, your documents, or whatever you want to grab before you leave your house."
Neighbors have some tedious work ahead but they're choosing to find ways to look at the bright side.
"Luckily enough I'm retired, so you know, gives me something to do. I guess I'm not retired anymore," Mike said.
