OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — A five-alarm fire is burning in an Oakland Hills neighborhood near Interstate 580 Friday afternoon, according to the Oakland Fire Department. Flames spread over 13 acres and burned multiple homes. Over eighty firefighters are battling the blaze.
All westbound I-580 lanes east of Keller Avenue were closed and reopened at 3:50 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. The westbound I-580 offramp to Keller Avenue and the Mountain Boulevard onramp to westbound I-580 are closed, CHP said.
The fire, according to OFD, is burning near Mountain Boulevard and Maynard Avenue. Evacuation orders are in place for Campus Drive and Crystal Ridge Court, OFD says.
Here are the specific zones with evacuation orders, according to Cal Fire:
- OKL-E203: Caballo Hills – Keller Ave, Mountain Blvd.
- OKL-E204: Sequoyah – Keller Ave, Mountain Blvd.
- OKL-E176: Ridgemont / Caballo Hills – Campus Dr, Stoneridge Ct, Crystal Ridge Ct.
- OKL-E177: Sequoyah – Keller Ave, Campus Dr, Canyon Oaks Dr.
Here are the specific zones with evacuation warnings, according to Cal Fire:
- OKL-E179: Ridgemont/Caballo Hills/Monte Vista Villas – Leona Dr, Old Quarry Loop
- OKL-E178: Ridgemont/Caballo Hills – Campus Dr, Ridgemont Dr.
According to Cal Fire, the fire is moving north and northwest. As of 3:45 p.m., the fire’s forward progress was stopped, firefighters said.
Temporary evacuation points have also been set at the following locations:
- Bushrod Recreation Center (Capacity- 153): 560 59th St, Oakland, CA 94609
- East Oakland Sports Center (Capacity- 48): 9161 Edes Ave, Oakland, CA 94603
- Ira Jinkins Recreation Center (Capacity – 132): 9175 Edes Ave, Oakland, CA 94603
- La Escuelita Elementary School (Capacity- 147): 1050 2nd Ave, Oakland, CA 94606
As of 2 p.m., OFD said approximately 10 structures are involved in the blaze. No injuries were reported, firefighters said.
The fire has also caused an outage to affected and nearby areas, according to PG&E. Nearly 1,200 customers are without power as of 2:32 p.m. PG&E estimates power to be restored at around 5 p.m.
As of 2:30 p.m., OFD said Cal Fire air support and crews from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services arrived to help with the blaze.
At 2:40 p.m., three westbound I-580 lanes east of Keller Avenue were closed. The far left lane reopened at 3:15 p.m., according to the CHP. I-580 drivers are advised to expect delays and use alternate routes.
“To everyone nearby in Oakland: Please follow all evacuation orders, follow all safety guidelines, and stay safe,” Rep. Barbara Lee said.
Firefighters are dubbing this fire the Keller Fire.
This is a developing story. Stick with KRON4 for more updates.
