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A fast-moving brush fire that jumped Interstate Highway 580 near Tracy in eastern Alameda County was 85% contained Friday morning, according to Cal Fire.
As of 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 150 personnel were fighting the 262-acre Midway Fire, which started shortly before 3 p.m. near Patterson Pass and Midway roads.
Motorists experienced major delays on the Altamont Pass, where the California Highway Patrol shut down both directions on Interstate Highway 580. By 6:30 p.m., one lane each in both eastbound and westbound directions reopened between Interstate Highway 205 and Patterson Pass Road.
No injuries have been reported. Four commercial structures were threatened by the fire, said Cal Fire spokesperson Chelsea Burkett.
Dry conditions, combined with gusty winds, fueled the fire. “The fuel there is pretty dry and receptive to fire right now,” Burkett said.
In addition to ground crews and eight fire engines, Cal Fire reported that six fixed-wing aircraft and one helicopter responded to the fire.
The Midway Fire was first reported at about 2 acres at about 3 p.m. The cause is under investigation.
— Story by Kathleen Kirkwood, Bay City News Service
