Traffic Warning - At 11 p.m. Friday, 580 will be closed in both directions through Oakland from Keller Avenue to Edwards Avenue while PG&E repairs the downed power lines, according to CHP. Westbound traffic will be diverted to 98th Avenue. Eastbound traffic will be diverted to Seminary Avenue. State Route 13 will be diverted at Devenport Avenue.
Oakland firefighters battled a three-alarm grass fire Friday afternoon after a car crashed into a power pole.
The driver of the car is being treated at a local hospital, but there were no other injuries reported.
The fire was reported around 1:45 p.m. near Keller Avenue and Mountain Boulevard just off of Interstate 580. Smoke could be seen for miles.
The driver of the car that slammed into the power pole on Mountain Boulevard created a domino effect that ripped down power lines.
"Wires started falling down," said Christine Davidson "People were helping and the wires started a small fire."
About 6800 customers were without power at one point, according to PG&E.
A street nearby was evacuated as a precaution, according to the Oakland Fire Department. The fire was contained around 3:15 p.m. after spreading to two acres.
Tonya Sellers said she felt lucky that her 82-year-old mother was evacuated in time and her home didn't burn down.
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"You have police sirens and fire sirens going around you," Sellers said. "You see the smoke coming up and you don't know if your home is up in smoke."
Caltrans closed the Edwards Avenue off-ramp on eastbound 580 for a time because of the fire, a Caltrans spokesperson said.
At 11 p.m. Friday, 580 was scheduled to be closed in both directions through Oakland from Keller Avenue to Edwards Avenue while PG&E repaired the downed power lines, according to CHP.
The driver of the car was not seriously hurt, but it could have been divine intervention. Her bible was found open in the passenger seat.
