Dennis Johnsen, arson investigator with the Santa Clara County Fire Department, said wind speeds of about 25 to 30 miles per hour made the grass fire behind the Live Oak apartment complex difficult to extinguish. He said someone called at 4:59 p.m. to report the fire that took about an hour for firefighters to contain. Luckily, they were able to do so before the fire reached any homes or other buildings.

"It went to two alarms, mostly because of the wind," Johnsen said. "There are people in that area who still have wood shake roofs."

The wind caused flames to spread near tennis courts down a hill behind the apartments. A considerable amount of smoke was produced, mostly from a 30- by 60-foot patch of juniper bushes that burned. The bushes contain a lot of oil and give off dark smoke when burned.

The investigator said the cause of the fire has not been determined. Neighbors reported seeing "a couple of younger males" in the area when the smoke was first noticed, he said.

No one was injured by the flames or smoke, but several firefighters responding to the call suffered minor injuries from another source.

"They ran across a yellow-jacket nest," Johnsen said. "They got bit a few times and stung, but they're all right."