Pittsburg neighbors plagued with constant fires started in nearby abandoned golf course
PITTSBURG (KPIX) -- Neighbors who live near an abandoned golf course in Pittsburg are tired of constant fires in their backyards. Authorities say at least fire started in a homeless encampment and maybe more.
The latest fire happened Sunday night, and burned dangerously close to homes. Neighbors are fed up with how frequent the fires are this summer.
A blaze in the middle of June started at the golf course and quickly raced up to nearby homes. It was the second fire that week and residents were frustrated then.
"A scary thought thinking you have to be prepared for something like this to happen again. That's the last thing you ever want to go through," said neighbor Paula Gilliam.
The feeling of being on edge hasn't gone away. Another fire ignited on the same hillside, just after 11:30 Sunday night.
"My curtain was glowing," said Esperanza Pando. "I looked in the backyard and there were flames all over the back of the hills."
30 acres burned in the Alta Fire, which threatened homes on Alta Vista Circle.
Pando added, "It's kind of scary because we wake up and it's so close to the home, the flames get so high. It's a little scary."
ConFire is still looking into the cause of the most recent fire but it has already determined the June blaze started at a homeless encampment. The fire department says it's seen encampment-related fires increase every year for the last 3 years.
Many residents say they constantly wake up to the sound of fire trucks and see a huge wall of flame coming towards their home. Residents like Mickey Morgado say they are ready.
"We have our go bag," said Morgado. "We have our emergency bag. We have an escape plan in our house. You grab one kid and I'll grab the other. It's a scary reality as it gets closer and closer."
