renew: As of Tuesday evening, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Pleasanton fire had grown to 950 acres. Evacuation orders remain in effect in several areas of southeastern Alameda County.
The small fire is only 10 percent contained and is still burning near Vallecitos and Little Valley roads in the rural southeast.
Preliminary report: Horrifying video emerges as firefighters battle rapidly spreading small blaze californiaAlameda County. The fire, burning near Sunol and threatening parts of Pleasanton, had grown to about 700 acres and had 0% containment as of Tuesday evening.
Officials warn that dry vegetation, low humidity and gusty winds are fueling extreme fire behavior.
The fire, officially known as the Little Fire, broke out around 2:45 p.m. near Vallecitos Road and Little Valley Road in the Sunol area, south of Pleasanton.
Firefighters from the Alameda County Fire Department, Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department and Cal Fire responded quickly as the flames spread across dry grassland.
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Evacuations ordered as fire spreads toward Pleasanton
Estimates shown on the Genasys evacuation map indicate that the evacuation area includes approximately 4,900 residents.
As of the time of this report, it was unclear how many people had left their homes.
Highway 84, sometimes called Happy Valley Road or Vallecitos Road, has been designated for evacuees. The Pleasanton Senior Center at 5353 Sunol Blvd. has opened a temporary shelter, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
As the fires spread toward densely populated areas, authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders for several areas. Evacuation zones include ALC-072, PLS-080, PLS-081 and PLS-103, covering the unincorporated Sunol and Ruby Hill communities on the eastern edge of Pleasanton.
Evacuation warnings were also issued for PLS-079 and PLS-082 as firefighters worked to slow the spread of the fire. Officials urged residents to leave immediately if ordered to do so and to monitor local emergency alerts for updates.
The Livermore Police Department said officers were deployed at the request of CAL FIRE to assist with evacuations along with area emergency agencies.
“Small fires are currently burning outside Livermore and in the Sunol/Pleasanton area,” the department said in a statement on Sunday. Authorities emphasized that there are no evacuation orders affecting Livermore at this time, but urged residents to remain vigilant and follow official instructions.
Officials are also asking residents to avoid calling police dispatch centers for updates on the fire so emergency calls can still be made.
Residents can view live updates and evacuation maps here.
Video shows weather fueling the spread of the fire and thick smoke billowing from it
Video shared on social media captured towering plumes of smoke and rapidly spreading flames over dry vegetation near Sunol. Independent weather observers reported that the wildfires were exhibiting very active fire behavior.
According to the New York Times, temperatures reached around 91°F (33°C), with winds reaching 15 mph and very low relative humidity, creating favorable conditions for the fire to spread quickly.
A fire rages near an abandoned nuclear facility. NorthStar, which owns the facility, said it was investigating the situation.
“The fire is under investigation and has not impacted our assets at this time,” PG&E spokesman Tamar Sarkissian said.
