The Little Fire south of Pleasanton, California, remained an active Alameda County incident early Wednesday, July 22, after burning 1,007 acres and injuring one firefighter, according to CAL FIRE.
CAL FIRE's incident page listed the fire at 10% containment, with its cause under investigation and unified command held by the CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit and the Alameda County Fire Department. ABC7 San Francisco reported that all evacuation orders had been lifted as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, but residents should still check the live official map and local alerts before returning or moving animals and equipment back into the area.
The practical takeaway is simple: treat a lifted order as permission to verify conditions, not as proof that every road, utility line or hillside is back to normal.
What changed
The fire started Tuesday afternoon near Vallecitos Road and Little Valley Road in Sunol, CAL FIRE said. It grew from 75 acres to 700 acres within roughly 90 minutes, then reached 1,007 acres by the 9:52 p.m. update.
CAL FIRE said the fire was burning in grass and brush in difficult terrain, threatening structures and power lines. Earlier updates said crews were using engines, hand crews, bulldozers, tankers and helicopters while dealing with limited access and hot weather.
ABC7 reported that evacuation impacts included the Ruby Hill neighborhood and areas along Vineyard Avenue. The station also reported that no structures had burned at last check and that a CAL FIRE engine rollover injured one firefighter, who was transported to a hospital and described by officials as in good spirits.
What we do not know yet
Officials had not announced a cause, a final damage assessment or a full containment timeline early Wednesday. The exact status of every access road can also change faster than statewide incident pages, which is why neighborhood-level alerts matter more than a single headline when residents decide whether to re-enter.
What residents should check first
Before going back, residents should check the CAL FIRE incident page, Alameda County Sheriff alerts and the live Genasys evacuation map. CAL FIRE's own legend says an evacuation order lifted means officials have determined the immediate danger has passed, but residents should remain alert for changes or updated instructions.
People returning to the fire area should also look for road closures, downed utility lines, damaged fences, smoke pockets and loose animals before unloading vehicles or letting children and pets roam. Anyone who smells gas, sees arcing wires or finds hot spots near a structure should leave the area and call 911.
What happens next
The next meaningful update is containment. At 10%, the fire is not finished even if immediate evacuation pressure has eased. Crews still need to strengthen lines, patrol hot spots and confirm that wind or dry grass will not push embers into new runs.
The cause remains under investigation. Until officials post a higher containment number and local agencies close the evacuation loop, residents near Sunol, Pleasanton and Livermore should keep phones charged, keep vehicles pointed out and keep go-bags accessible overnight.
