Just after 2:00 pm Thursday, the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District responded to multiple reports of a vegetation fire in the area of Bethel Island Road and Wells Road on the border of the City of Oakley and Bethel Island.
Firefighters arrived on scene to 1/4 acre of brush and grass on fire with slow spread in berry bushes and trees with multiple boats threatened. Crews were concerned about spread into an open field and mobilized to cut off the head of the fire. Ultimately the boats were saved and the forward progress was stopped by about 3:10 pm.
According to Battalion Chief Ross Macumber, the fire was limited to 3-acres and was about 80% contained as of 4:15. He confirmed that if the fire did jump Wells Road and they could not control it, the fire had the potential to burn several hundred acres.
“If it would have jumped Wells Road and if the wind caught it with all the dead grass, it could have burned up 200 acres easy. We caught a little bit of luck with the weather,” said Macumber who anticipates they will be on scene for a while cleaning up the incident and moving garbage out of the area.
Preliminary investigation was that the fire was likely started by homeless. PG&E was also requested to the scene due to several power poles that were burned in the incident.
Note – this same property burned 3 acres on June 24, 2019. Below is video from that incident.
2 comments
Homeless? Starting fires AGAIN? I am in total SHOCK!
Why are the homeless never held accountable for starting these fires?
Comments are closed.