Forward progress stopped in brush fire affecting homes in Concord, Bay Point: CAL FIRE

The so-called Point Fire started Friday afternoon off Evora Road in Bay Point and it spread rapidly.

It grew to 462 acres and people were ordered to get out of their homes, some of those houses threatened by the flames are covered in retardant.

The fire was 20% contained as of Friday night.

"All of the sudden I'm in the restroom, I look out the window and saw dark smoke coming from the house in front of me," said Eleonora Schwartz.

Schwartz says behind that smoke was a fast-moving wall of flames, marching towards her Bay Point neighborhood Friday afternoon, she grabbed her dog Sophie, and was ready to make a run for it when she and her car got doused with retardant from an firefighting aircraft.

"Policeman was out there and we all got drenched with that red stuff, that's when I decided to leave," Schwartz said.

SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: Brush fire in Bay Point burns 471 acres, 40% contained; evacuation orders downgraded, CAL FIRE says

A brush fire that burned in the Bay Point and Concord area is now 471 acres and 40 % contained, CAL FIRE said Saturday morning.

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Acres of dry grass creating the perfect recipe to fuel the fire. Contra Costa Fire says it started near this shooting range off Evora Road and quickly spread, carried by strong winds.

"The fire got into some light flashy fuels, the wind took it from there, winds were at 14 mph but on the ridge tops they seem to blow a lot harder," said Captain Chris Toller from Contra Costa Fire District.

SKY7 showed the firefight unfolding, you could see from above how close the flames came to this neighborhood off Driftwood Drive.

"My heart is going 10,000 miles a minute," said evacuee Denise Tarvins.

Denise and Robert Tarvins couldn't get back to their house due to the evacuation order but kept a close eye on their place through a home security camera app, it was safe but watching the fire move across the ridge was beyond stressful.

"I'm trying to do mindfulness, I'm a psychotherapist teaching clients to relax and live in the moment, I'm trying to practice what I preach," said Tarvins.

We saw a long line of neighbors sitting in their cars near Highway 4 waiting for the green light to return home.

"The police said we're not letting anyone up until they reopen streets, we have no idea when that will be," said Pierre Tiffith.

About 8:30 p.m., the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department reduced the evacuation order to a warning, allowing residents to return home.

A cause of the fire is under investigation.

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