CONCORD, CALIF. – Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire) today 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 soaking rains 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, overwhelming 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 the City of 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 the City of 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.
In each of these wildfire cases, and in many more non-wildfire incidents our American Red Cross partners worked to assist victims with temporary housing and other needs. All told, in Con Fire’s communities, the Red Cross provided assistance to 357 residents this year as a result of some 60 separate fire incidents, including the five wind-driven fire-caused evacuations above.
This year’s grass fires and related displacements of residents demonstrate we are not immune to wildfire danger in Contra Costa County. Weed abatement and defensible space creation are essential to protecting homes and businesses from wildfire risk. For more on wildfire safety, visit www.cccfpd.org.
About Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) — A recognized fire service leader – – Con Fire
provides fire and emergency medical services to more than a million people across its 304 square-mile District area, and through mutual aid, in and around the 20 cities and unincorporated communities of Contra Costa County, California. With few exceptions, county emergency ambulance transport services are provided by Con Fire through its unique sub-contractor Alliance model across the District and beyond to include some 520 square miles of the county. In 2020, the District responded to some 75,000 fire and EMS emergencies and dispatched some 95,000 ambulances, providing expert medical care on more than 74,000 ambulance transports. The District, with 26 fire stations and more than 400 employees, is dedicated to preserving life, property, and the environment.
1 comment
How about heightened “arson’ season? When is the end to that?
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