Albany Brush Fire Evacuations Lifted

ALBANY, CA — A brush fire in Albany forced residents to evacuate their homes for a brief period Sunday afternoon.

The City of Albany issued an alert ordering residents in the Albany Hill area to evacuate at 4:22 p.m. Within a few hours, the orders were lifted as crews got the upper hand on the fire.

Authorities set up an evacuation center at Golden Gate Fields.

Firefighters were battling the brush fire that started in Albany near buildings along Cleveland and Washington avenues Sunday afternoon. Shortly before 4 p.m. firefighters from the Albany, Berkeley and El Cerrito fire departments were called in to assist with the firefighting effort.

"All 7 engines are working Albany's #cleveland incident, with both truck companies staffing brush rig and type 3 wildland unit," the Berkeley Fire Department tweeted. "Alameda County and Oakland Fire departments are covering #berkeley currently."

Thick plumes of smoke could be seen for miles around, according to ABC7. Images on social media showed the fire burning close to single-family homes and high-rise residents.

Photos on social media showed sheriff's patrol units blocking off the Albany exit from westbound Highway 80 as crews battled the blaze Sunday afternoon.

The brief evacuation forced many families to leave their homes as a precaution Sunday.

"All of Hillside and Gateview need to Evacuate," the city ordered in the afternoon.

The evacuation extended to Taft Street, the SF Gate reported. Residents in the 500 block of Pierce Street were advised to shelter in place. A few hours later, residents were allowed to return home.