Friday afternoon, a car fire appeared to spread to a nearby hillside between Sunol and Pleasanton. Drivers going northbound on 680 approaching Happy Valley Road saw the flames and scorched hillside. While this brush fire only got up to 5 acres and was quickly contained, it sparked familiar fears for neighbors who recently were on alert for the Little Fire, which happened only a few miles away. The Little Fire, which started earlier this week and spread to a little more than 1,000 acres in the Pleasanton hills, is 90% contained as of Friday evening, Cal Fire said. Assistant Chief Steven Blythe with Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit said that the call came out about Friday’s fire at 3:19 p.m. He said that initial reports indicate the fire began underneath a car that was on 680, then spread to the grass on the surrounding hillside. Blythe said this fire is under investigation. The Koopmann family, who have a ranch just off of 680, confirmed that the fire did reach their property. However, the Koopmanns said that Cal Fire responded quickly and that together they were able to get the blaze contained without anyone getting hurt. While the firefight and the subsequent cleanup were going on, fire trucks blocked off several lanes of 680 northbound, and evening traffic was backed up for hours. In the Happy Valley neighborhood nearby, charred grass is visible on the eastern hills where the Little Fire extended earlier in the week. Residents in Happy Valley were not among those ordered to evacuate during the Little Fire, but many were prepared to and felt anxious seeing the large plumes of smoke not too far away. “I drove home and realized the smoke was basically coming from the hillside behind our neighborhood,” recalled neighbor Kristina Johnson. She said that other fires have started in the area as well, related to incidents on the freeway. Many neighbors are feeling especially on alert after the Little Fire and were nervous to see smoke or receive alerts Friday. “When I got the Watch Duty alert [Friday], I was hoping it was somewhere far away,” said neighbor Dominic Gaiero. “Then, I saw it was right here, just down the street, and I got really concerned,” he continued. As for the Little Fire, Cal Fire crews will continue working on it overnight Friday night into Saturday morning, hopeful they will reach 100% containment this weekend. ...read more read less