Aug 28, 2008 8:05 pm US/Pacific
Fire Put Out On Yerba Buena Island Near Bay Bridge
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / KCBS / AP / BCN) ―
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Smoke billows from a brush fire under the Bay Bridge on the west side of the Yerba Buena Island anchorage Thursday.
CBS
A brush fire that burned Thursday afternoon on a hillside on Yerba Buena Island was brought under control after causing lots of smoke and snarling traffic on the Bay Bridge during the evening commute.
Fire officials said the grassfire that burned two acres started around 2:10 p.m., when smoke could be seen billowing just under the Bay Bridge anchorage at the west end of the bridge tunnel.
Firefighters struggled to get access to the blaze, which sent smoke over the bridge and closed one lane in both directions. Drivers trying to access the bridge from San Francisco faced long delays.
A fire boat had to be dispatched to put out the flames as crews were unable to reach the fire site because there are no access roads leading to the bottom of the island where the blaze was burning.
While the blaze was contained about 5 p.m., the California Highway Patrol warned that westbound bridge traffic would be restricted into the night as fire crews mopped up.
Fire officials said the cause of the brush fire was under investigation, but noted that it never threatened any structures or the bridge.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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