At 1:07 pm, Firefighters from East Contra Costa Fire Protection District responded to a vegetation fire out on Morgan Territory Road. As crews arrived, they stated the fire was about a ½ acre.
There are also reports of a down power line where two strike teams were called as crews battle the blaze. As of 1:50, smoke was starting to make its way into Antioch and Brentwood.
At of 2:10 pm, two additional strike teams were called.
As of 2:20 pm, homeowners in the area are being told to evacuate.
As of 2:50 pm, the fire has spread to 15-acres.
As of 2:55 pm, another strike team is being sent.
As of 3:31 pm, Cal Fire posted on Twitter the fire has reached 177-acres and just 10% contained.
As of 3:35 pm, a source says all 5-engines are committed and 2 BC’s are committed from ECCFPD. The fire has potential to go over 1,000 acres. Emergency recall is in place to staff additional engines.
As of 3:50 pm, the fire is now up to 350 acres.
As of 4:25 pm, the fire is now up over 400 acres
As of 4:41 pm, the fire is now up over 500 acres and off-duty firefighters have been called in to cover ECCFPD stations in Brentwood, Discovery Bay and Oakley
As of 4:50 pm: Mandatory Evacuations for Marsh Creek and Morgan territory area just issued. Temporary support area for evacuees set up at a Diablo View Intermediate School in Clayton on Marsh Creek Rd. This is for the Mandatory evacuations for Oakhill and Curry Creek area. It should also be noted, 175 firefighters on this fire.
East Contra Costa, Cal Fire, Contra Costa and East Bay Regional Park District firefighters are on scene.
Check back for updates
Photos, Art Michel, Amy Mecham, Kristine Gornto, Amy Schrader, Shannon Cherry
19 comments
This fire started 2 hours ago and there is nothing on Contra Costa Times or Brentwood Press yet. There tons of pictures from everyone but the only information so far is coming from this site. Thanks!
You might be able to read this in the Brentwood press ……in a week.
When updates matter and seconds count, you can rely on the press to give you old inaccurate and mostly recycled news! My copy goes straight to the recycle bin, completely untouched and unread.
thank’s to this web my parents live on marsh creek 1.5 miles past the fire i am able to keep them infored Richard
careful Richard someone might say something for your misspelled word. lol
As crews arrived it is a half acre. Why did they wait for over an hour to call for a strike team? I/2 of an acre ! and now over 177 ! Something is really wrong with this timeline or situation.
Way to arm chair quarterback…
Dont blame the firefighters that is dry/steep country that is ripe to burn quickly.
Can’t elaborate as to why there was a delay in requesting additional help or if there was such a delay because I simply don’t have that info, but here are some facts to consider……..The remoteness of the location, time and distance for resources to travel, the availability of those resources, and the reflex time for the response once a request was made. Those are all factors that are in play not to mention the topography, fuel characteristics, and environmental factors. Given the time day when this fire first broke out the area was likely in a state of transition from less to more favorable burning conditions which would influence the fire behavior, contribute to a rapid development, and spread. It could very well be that what they had when they arrived appeared to be something they could reasonably handle with what they had but as the fire developed it ran faster than additional help get there given some of the factors I already mentioned. As simple as it may seem to simply put water on it, there are endless unforeseen circumstances that can be encountered and delay actual suppression efforts. I don’t know if having one more station open closer to this fire wold have made the difference but what I can say is that sometimes one more gallon or less or just a little more time can be the difference between making a good stop and having something run away completely.
A friend lives off Morgan Territory about a mile from Marsh Creek. They were in Sac when the fire broke out. Would love to know the direction(s) the fire is moving. I’m keeping them updated via ECT. Thanks Mike!
HonestInjun. We have been questioning that since the beginning. We are completely smoked in now on the west side of Antioch.
Emergency services just interrupted the TV for evacuation of the area.
Thank you for the frequent updates! Contra Costa Times has dropped the ball on this one.
I hope no one is injured or any ones home lost because of the unnecessary delayed response.
There was plenty of equipment and personnel available. Its now 500 acres from 1/2 acre when fire was on scene. An investigation needs to be conducted on this.
Bummer, I see Diablo Bowmen’s archery range on Oak Hill is burning from the pictures. Thanks
Sure glad that we shut down all of those fire stations in East and Central County. We don’t need firemen, right? This is the exact reason a consultant can’t predict staffing patterns for fires. Tell your supervisor that you are not going to stand by and see another station shut down.
Jordan,
Again you are putting out bad info over what needs to be proper info. Fire stations are funded solely by property tax dollars frozen in place by prop 13. The supervisors have no control over the funding other than to request a special tax assessment by ballot measure. They tried that last year in con fire and the east county fire district directors tried in east county. Both failed by rejection of the voters.
Educating the public is where you should place your energy otherwise you will continue to see fire stations close. It is simple economics.
At some point voters will realize they are in control of the level of service we receive.
God Bless the firefighters and thanks to Burk for the updates.
Thanks to all the firefighters!!! Maybe Contra Costa Board of Supervisors should rethink about closing another fire station by Jan, 2014!!!
Fire stations don’t operate on grocery store coupons. They require real money and the district has none.
Once again, if you’re thinking the Supervisors are just taking money away from them and forcing these closures, then you do not understand how the fire department is funded.
It’s in your best interest to get familiar with it before the next ballot measure comes around.
Jigs is getting as good as Obama at bullshit. He shouldn’t use this fire that the state of California is putting out to promote his agenda for a new local tax. That is just sick. This fire would have happened even if there wasn’t an ECCFPD. So cut the spin. Those people in Morgan Territory area pay twice! Once for Cal Fire and Again to ECCFPD. The ballot is not until next year so stop the premature sales pitch. I hate it when people like jigs uses the pain of others to promote a personal agenda. Your one sick puppy dude.
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