The National Weather Service on Friday said fire weather conditions are “near critical” today and likely will be on Saturday for parts of the Bay Area, including the interior East Bay.
Wind gusts of 25 to 40 mph and low afternoon humidities are creating the dangerous conditions, and Pacific Gas and Electric has begun shutting off power in the most at-risk areas as a precaution. You can look up addresses of current and planned outages using PG&E’s public safety power outage map.
It’s clear fire season has officially arrived, along with the official first day of summer. A fire called the Somersville fire burned 350 acres in Antioch Wednesday night and required some homes to be temporarily evacuated. No structures were damaged.
Bay Area residents are asked to secure tow chains, extinguish cigarette butts, store water near open flames and avoid using equipment that creates sparks.
As it did during last year’s fire season, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Contra Costa Fire) is working with PG&E to fight fires with a firefighting helicopter.
The district said the helicopter, stationed in Byron, was put into service June 12 and will be available to bring up to 300 gallons of water anywhere in the county. It also has a snorkel and pump system so it can quickly refill from open water sources or portable ground water tanks set up by ground crews.
“A rapid initial attack is one of the most effective strategies we have in limiting the spread of wildfires,” said Contra Costa Fire’s wildland Battalion Chief Tom Zurflueh, in a press release. “The addition of Copter 1 significantly enhances our ability to deliver water to the fireline within minutes of dispatch, giving ground crews a critical advantage in protecting life, property, and natural resources.”
PG&E contributes $1 million to support the helicopter operations, while the remaining $1 million is covered by Contra Costa Fire’s general fund.
East Bay Regional Parks District posts “red flag” level warning
The East Bay Regional Parks District on Friday posted a warning for “very high” fire danger on Friday.
Parks are scheduled to remain open with the following restrictions:
- No campfires outside of designated day-use picnic areas, campgrounds, or developed recreational areas. Barbeques permitted only in designated day-use picnic areas, campgrounds or developed recreational areas. Gas-fueled stoves are permitted in all areas.
- Vehicles are restricted to driving only on designated roadways; no cross-country driving.
- No use of gasoline powered equipment (e.g., mowers in rough areas, weed eaters, chain saws, welders and generators) outside of irrigated areas, designated campgrounds or developed recreational areas unless extra protection fire safety measures approved by the fire chief are implemented.
- Maintenance of irrigated areas and road grading are permitted.
- Increase monitoring and patrol by Park Staff.
When fire danger is high, the East Bay Regional Park District occasionally will close its parks, which are organized into a number of fire danger zones. The park district uses remote automated weather stations to assess fire danger.
The data helps fire managers predict fire behavior and track weather and fuel characteristics. Park visitors can use it to learn about the current weather at local parks.
Fire safety tips
- Keep your phone on, charged and in your pocket throughout the day.
- Fill up your tank with gas and pack your trunk with a go bag of essentials and extra water. Keep in mind that garage doors operating on electricity may not open, but avoid parking on the street, to leave room for emergency vehicles to pass.
- Avoid activities that could cause a spark, such as parking or driving over dry vegetation, which has been a common cause of fires this year, said Nicole Sarment, a NWS meteorologist. Make sure you properly extinguish cigarettes and barbecues properly and follow local burn bans and firework prohibitions.
- Avoid running your lawnmower, said Gass.
- Be prepared to rapidly evacuate if needed. Have an evacuation route in mind.
