East Bay fire officials warn residents to be careful amid extremely dry conditions
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY -- The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District warned residents on Monday to be careful with outdoor activities because of warm, dry weather along with no precipitation in the forecast.
The agency reports more than 150 acres have burned in wildfires over the past week.
"It's very dangerous out there on the ground and we urge all of our residents all across the region to be extremely cautious in all outdoor activities," said Con Fire Public Information Officer Steve Hill.
Hill said while Red Flag Warnings were in place to the north and east of the Bay Area on Monday, he wanted residents to prepare for those conditions. He points out that over the last several years weather conditions have only made fighting wildfires more difficult.
"We feel like we're in good shape this year, but we also feel this is going to be a challenging, perhaps most challenging fire weather in recent years," he told KPIX 5 on Monday.
Some additional resources Con Fire has for the summer include two "Crew 12" teams that will have a total of 14 fire control workers each, the most the agency has ever had. The teams will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"Oh I love it! I couldn't ask for a better weather day," said Patrick Perez, a Martinez resident enjoying a picnic on Memorial Day with friends while behind the barbeque. "I'm there most of the time to make sure I don't let it go unattended."
Perez was not as worried about firing up the grill at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek to enjoy the holiday. But he said when he is at home using the barbeque, he takes extra steps to make sure everyone stays safe.
"We just have to use our discretion and look at the area around us," he said. "I am very concerned about wildfires because we haven't had much rain up until this point."
Con Fire says it can increase their staff in a moment's notice, but they want the public to remember that most wildfires are human-caused and therefore preventable.
In addition to caution with barbeques, weed abatement with power tools should be avoided during the height of the heat. Also, residents are advised to maintain their vehicles as even a dragging chain can start a fire, as can carelessly discarded smoking materials.
"In the last several years as the conditions have worsened really from the fire weather perspective, we've continually ramped up our game to be better prepared to protect the communities we serve," Hill said.