Firefighters were battling a wildland fire Monday evening that burned dozens of acres and sent a plume of smoke in South San Jose that could be seen for miles, according to the San Jose Fire Department, reports the San Jose Mercury News.
The 125-acre fire was roughly 75 percent contained as of 7 p.m., but fire officials said they planned to remain in the hills off Curie Drive, south of Santa Teresa Boulevard and Cottle Road, well into the night.
The four-alarm grass fire was reported about 1:45 p.m., authorities said. SJFD commanders hustled to backfill fire stations to ensure baseline coverage in San Jose while crews fought the grass fire. Those stretched resources were soon needed when a fire broke out around 3:15 p.m. in a creek next to Los Lagos Golf Course off Tuers Road and Capitol Expressway about six miles away.
Fire Capt. Cleo Doss said firefighters — braving temperatures hovering in the low 90s Monday — were especially cautious while battling the Curie Fire because the fire was in the vicinity of homes. Fire engines were dispatched to protect homes in the fire’s potential path.
CalFire, the state firefighting agency, was called in to assist with a helicopter and an air tanker, along with crews from Santa Clara County, Mountain View, Morgan Hill and Santa Clara. Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies and San Jose police also responded to help control traffic in the area and keep residents away from harm.
Two firefighters suffered moderate injuries fighting the four-alarm blaze and were transported to an area hospital but were treated and released, Doss said.
Roughly 10 residents of Scenic Vista Drive and the northwest segment of Santa Teresa County Park north of Bernal Road were evacuated as a precaution, some of them directed to Leland High School. Workers at the IBM Almaden Research Center were also told to clear out. However, as of 7 p.m., Doss said crews were in the process of allowing residents to go back to their homes.
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