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Wind-Whipped Fires Scorch Areas Of Bethel Island, Oakley, Clayton

BETHEL ISLAND (CBS SF) -- Several wind-whipped wildfires erupted early Sunday morning on Bethel Island, near Oakley in rural Contra Costa County and in Clayton, one which triggered the evacuation of residents of a mobile home park and a neighborhood, fire officials said.

Evacuation orders for both the Summerlake fire and the Knightsen Avenue fire were later lifted and East Cypress Road was set to reopen for residents to return home

"Officers will be doing a controlled re-population for residents of the Summerlake neighborhood at the intersection of Bethel Island Road and East Cypress Road," the Oakley police department said in a message.

Residents should not call 911 unless there is a life-threatening emergency, officials said.

The East Contra Costa Fire Department said the blaze burned near 3505 Gateway Blvd. Winds were clocked at 52 mph in the area.

A fire department spokesman said the fire was first reported at 3:08 a.m. near a trailer and a PG&E power pole. Crews saw the flames as they approached the scene, describing it as a "football field sized" blaze.

An unknown number of structures were threatened in the Santiago Mobile Home Park, which was evacuated. Gateway Boulevard was closed near the adjacent gas station.

Around 5:45 a.m., crews responded to a second fire near E. Cypress Road and Knightsen Avenue in Oakley. East Contra Costa County Fire said three units and a strike team were on scene, with a call for an additional strike team.

Shortly before 6:30 a.m., additional evacuations were ordered for the Summer Lake neighborhood and the area of Knightsen Avenue and Delta Road. Residents between Cypress Road and Delta Road and west of Sellars Avenue were being evacuated. Authorities were being ordered to leave and go south towards Delta Road and then west towards Brentwood Boulevard.

The Oakley Recreation Center located at 1250 O'Hara Avenue was used as an evacuation center.

By 7:45 a.m. East Contra Costa Fire officials said crews had stopped forward progress on all three fires reported in the Oakley and Bethel Island areas. No structures damaged but one horse was killed.

Officials reported another fire near in the Clayton area that crews were responding to with a moderate structure threat but resources were on scene.

Despite that, some Clayton residents were being told to evacuate the area of Leon Court, Leon Drive and Leon Way.

By shortly after 9:30 a.m., all evacuation orders had been lifted and the forward progress of the fire in Clayton had been stopped.

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