UPDATE: Crews Stop Spread of Brush Fire Near Mount Tamalpais; Hikers Evacuated
MARIN COUNTY (CBS SF) -- Authorities in Marin County were able to stop the spread of a brush fire near Mount Tamalpais East Peak Wednesday that had led to the evacuation of some hikers.
The Marin County Sheriff's Department tweeted that firefighters and deputies had responded to the vegetation fire that was started by a vehicle fire and had grown to a quarter acre as of shortly before 2:30 p.m.
The alert issued by the sheriff said the fire originally started from a vehicle fire inside Mount Tamalpais State Park, not far from Mill Valley.
The Southern Marin Fire District reported that crews had put out the vehicle fire and were working to contain the vegetation fire, which had grown to about an acre.
The fire -- being referred to as the Ridgecrest Fire -- was spreading slowly and burning uphill, according to a Twitter post.
The Marin County Sheriff tweeted shortly before 3 p.m. that some hikers in the park were being evacuated. Air support has been dropping retardant and no structures were threatened, according to the sheriff.
At about 3:25 p.m., the Marin Sheriff issued an alert stating that forward progress of the fire had stopped at approximately 1.5 acres.
Crews will remain on the scene to extinguish hot spots. People are advised to avoid the area.
