Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire) announced it has reduced initial vegetation fire responses to a single fire engine because of recent and expected precipitation.
The decision to reduce responses came last week because of several storms and the expectation of further imminent precipitation. The reduction signals the end of heightened fire danger, which was first announced on May 1.
This year’s period of seasonal fire danger lasted 193 days.
While a dangerous fire year around the state, Contra Costa fared reasonably well with fire service preparation and planning, resident participation, early reporting, and rapid, over-whelming responses making a difference. Most wildfires in 2021 were held to 10 acres or less.
“With nearly year-round fire danger, our fire risks in Contra Costa County are no less than surrounding counties, especially those to the north with similar terrain and conditions,” said Fire Chief Lewis Broschard, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. “Con Fire urges all residents to practice fire safety in all outdoor activities and to plan well ahead of the typical spring-months arrival of fire danger for weed abatement and defensible space creation around their properties.”
Through the end of October, the District dispatched crews to some 1,528 grass and other exterior fires. Areas burned were kept to less than 10 acres with the exceptions of grass fires in Clyde on June 26 and a few days later in the morning hours of July 4 in Pittsburg, which scorched 40 acres each. A vegetation fire in Martinez on May 25 burned a total of 25 acres and an April 1 fire in Antioch burned 12 acres.
Unfortunately, at least 66 residents were displaced from their homes because of wind-driven grass fires burning into seven apartment buildings or single family homes during this period. In the most noteworthy of these fires, an early season grass fire sparked by illegal fireworks, spread to apartment buildings in Antioch resulting in eight units being uninhabitable with 40 residents displaced. Other displacements occurred as a result of two additional wind-driven
fires in Antioch, and one each in Martinez and Walnut Creek.
They can rest while they wait to burn the state down again next year. They refuse to get modern.
Ricardoh,
Please share your modern info so that we can share it with Con Fire and maybe it will help Cal Fire too!
I have told them many times they don’t listen. It goes against their job security.