Evacuations Lifted Following 320 Acre Grass Fire

MILPITAS, CA — Cal Fire reports that a fire in the hills above Milpitas "is currently burning in Ed Levin County Park." The update was issued just after 6:30 p.m. Monday. The advisory continues, "It is burning in a southeasterly direction toward Weller Road. It has transitioned from grass into heavier brush in a very steep drainage, and is currently threatening the Mt. Allison communications site."

While smoke billowed above the hills on Sunday, eyeballing the hills from town showed no sign of fire, just a blackened hillside and streaks of red fire retardant.

A total of 200 firefighters have battled the blaze since it broke out just after 1 p.m. on Sunday. In addition to Cal Fire, the Milpitas, Fremont and Spring Valley Volunteer fire departments have been on the fire lines. A South Bay Incident Management Team also assisted, made up of personnel from Mountain View FD, San Jose FD and Santa Clara County FD.

Other agencies involved for various reasons include the CHP, San Francisco Public Utilities, and Santa Clara County (OES, Parks, Sheriff).

- Photos by Tanusree Chatterjee