Contractors Using Grinder Sparked 100-Acre Grass Fire in Danville Tuesday

Contractors using a grinder to work on a fence sparked a roughly 100-acre vegetation fire near the Sycamore Valley Regional Open Space Preserve in Danville on Tuesday, fire officials said. The fire, which was reported shortly before 11 a.m. in an open area behind the Sycamore Valley Elementary School at 2200 Holbrook Drive, prompted evacuations at the school and at the Beth Chaim Congregation next door, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District Inspector Natalie Probert said.

Fire crews from Cal Fire, the Alameda County Fire Department and the East Bay Regional Park District joined the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District in battling the blaze, according to fire officials. The fire was contained at 12:20 p.m., fire officials said.

No structures were lost or damaged and no one reported any injuries, fire officials said. Contractors working on a fence with a grinding tool sent sparks into dry grass, which ignited into flames and spread quickly into the open space, according to fire officials. The dry grass, coupled with wind and warm weather, created textbook conditions for the spread of a grass fire, Probert said.

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Fire officials are reminding residents to remove dry grass and dead vegetation within a 100-foot perimeter of homes and property. Weed abatement should not be done on particularly hot or dry days, however, since that can increase the risk of a lawnmower or tractor sparking a blaze, Probert said.

By Bay City News

Photo courtesy Michael Iglesias