A grass fire broke out early Wednesday along Highway 24 in Lafayette, just before the morning commute.
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said the fire was reported about 4:30 a.m. near 1200 Pleasant Hill Road near Acalanes High School. Fire Marshal Robert Marshall said he was not sure how the fire started.
By 5:30 a.m., the fire had spread to eight acres and was threatening one structure. And just before 6 a.m., Lafayette police said the fire was under control. But they urged people to stay away from Deer Hill Road, because it was closed between Brown Avenue and Pleasant Hill Road.
Jack Page, 13, lives nearby and saw the fire out his window. "I saw the firefighters and instantly sprinted downstairs" to wake kup his parents. "It was scary."
His father, Trevor Page, said firefighters asked him and his family to leave thier home. "Two ridgelines were well ablaze," he said. "It was pitch black except for the fire so we knew it was a serious fire. But they got it under control pretty quickly."
Temperatures on Wednesday were expected to be hot for a second day in a row. A Spare the Air alert was issued again because of the heat and unhealthy smog likely to be created.
