Brush fire half contained in San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco, July 6 (IANS) A brush fire in California's Santa Clara County has been half contained, according to Cal Fire officials.

On Sunday, Cal Fire officials said the blaze, called Park Fire, had torched 343 acres in the east of Morgan Hill of Bay Area's Santa Clara County, reports Xinhua news agency.

The containment had reached 50 per cent by 11.30 a.m. on Sunday.

The fire has forced residents to evacuate near Anderson Lake County Park, and its cause has not been determined.

The Park Fire was among the at least 20 vegetation and structure blazes Santa Clara County firefighters battled late Saturday night, according to CBC San Francisco BayArea news.

Between 7 p.m. and midnight, officials said they responded to 67 fire calls with the peak coming around 9 p.m.

In all, there were 10 structure fires and 27 vegetation blazes.

At least 16 blazes were caused by the Fourth of July fireworks.

In San Francisco, fireworks sparked more than a dozen fires throughout the city.

One of the largest was a four-acre blaze in Mclaren Park which was halted as it approached several homes in the neighbourhood.

Fire officials reported more than 20 fires over the course of Saturday evening, including grass fires and structure fires.

--IANS

ksk/