A fire originating from a vehicle on Highway 680 spread to a nearby hillside between Sunol and Pleasanton on Friday afternoon, prompting traffic delays and raising concerns among residents already dealing with a separate blaze in the area.
Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit Assistant Chief Steven Blythe stated that dispatchers received a report of the incident at 3:19 p.m. Initial investigations suggest the flames started beneath a car on the highway before moving into the surrounding grassy terrain. Blythe confirmed that the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The Koopmann family, who operate a ranch adjacent to Highway 680, verified that the flames reached their land. They noted that Cal Fire personnel arrived promptly and worked with them to control the blaze. No injuries were reported in connection with this incident.
The fire covered approximately five acres and was brought under control quickly. However, the response required fire trucks to block several northbound lanes on Highway 680 near Happy Valley Road, resulting in significant traffic backups that lasted for hours.
This event occurred while the Little Fire, which ignited earlier in the week, continued to burn in the Pleasanton hills. That larger fire expanded to just over 1,000 acres before Cal Fire reported it had reached 90% containment by Friday evening.
