Fire that threatened Oakdale neighborhood is out

About a dozen homes in an upscale neighborhood east of Oakdale were threatened when a fast-moving vegetation fire along the Stanislaus River came within a few hundred feet of their backyards Wednesday afternoon.

But thanks to the work of firefighters from more than 10 local agencies, major damage was spared from the 8-acre blaze that began north of the river before jumping to the south side, according to Carissa Higginbotham of the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District.

The fire began about 1 p.m near Rodden Road and Gibbs Drive. It quickly jumped the river and threatened homes near Scarlet Oak Drive east of Dillwood Road.

About 100 firefighters, along with air support, battled flames in the rugged area. It was under control in about three hours.

There were no reported injuries among firefighters or residents.

Higginbotham said there were evacuations. One family loaded their dogs and luggage into their pickup and watched as smoke billowed above, ready to evacuate if necessary.

One home sustained minor damage to its shake roof when embers fell on it.

About 12,000 gallons of water from a nearby storage pond were used by helicopters to fight the fire.

Stanislaus Consolidated and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection battled the blaze with the assistance of nearby agencies.

The California Highway Patrol was called to assist when a Hughson engine responding to the scene got into a noninjury crash with a car on Scarlet Oak.

Preliminary investigation suggests the fire was caused when a bulldozer hit a power line. Residents in the area reported their power went out just before the fire started.

Firefighters from Modesto, Turlock, Salida, Keyes and others throughout the county assisted, Higginbotham said.

This story was originally published August 19, 2015 at 2:18 PM with the headline "Fire that threatened Oakdale neighborhood is out."