Tractor Sparks Vegetation Fire in Livermore

A tractor is being blamed for sparking a vegetation fire that charred about two acres of pasture land in Livermore on Sunday afternoon, Livermore Pleasanton Fire Battalion Chief Paul Legasa said.

“The fire spread was limited by fuel breaks, and the fire spread away from nearby residences,” Legasa said.

The fire was reported in the 3000 block of Marina Ave. around 1:41 p.m. Legasa said fire crews remained at the scene until about 3:41 p.m. extinguishing hot spots.

“The cause of the fire was the result of a properly operating tractor that was being operated in the dry grass,” Legasa said. “Driving vehicles into tall grass can start a vegetation fire. Operating mowers and tractors in dry grass can start a vegetation fire.”

In nearby Danville last week, a contractor cutting rebar to build a retaining wall sparked a vegetation fire in Danville on Tuesday afternoon. The fire, which charred the dry hillside in the 400 block of El Alamo, near the Mt. Diablo Trail, is the third fire started as a result of “hot work operations” in the past few weeks.

Related:

• Fire Officials Release Cause of Danville Vegetation Fire

Earlier this month, firefighters in Danville extinguished a 100-acre brush fire sparked by grinder. The fire scorched the dry hillsides and prompted the evacuations of several summer camps at Sycamore Valley Elementary School.

Previous:

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

San Ramon Valley Fire Inspector Natalie Probert says contractors who must perform “hot work” for a project need to take all necessary safety precautions. She offered tips for contractors and homeowners to follow.

• Hot work areas shall not contain flammables or combustibles
• A fire watch shall be established during the hot work activities and shall continue at least 30 minutes after the work in completed
• Whoever does the fire watch duty shall be fire extinguishing equipment readily available and shall know how to use it (know how to use a portable fire extinguisher)
• One portable fire extinguisher is required to be on site
• Hot work is not recommended on hot, dry, windy days
• A pre-hot work inspection shall be completed prior to any work to determine if the area is clear of any hazards, flammables and combustibles
• Have a phone readily available if you do need to call 9-1-1, preferably a landline. Know the address where the work in being performed in the event you do have to call and speak to a 9-1-1 operator.

“As we have seen with the recent fires in our fire district, the vegetation fires have been a result of unpermitted construction and hot work operations,” Probert said. “The proper precautions were not taken, and the fires started small and quickly spread due to the hot weather, dry, windy conditions, as well as the steep terrain and tall, dry season grasses.”

Probert stressed the importance of fire breaks to help protect structures from fire disasters. Legasa says residents can visit: PreventWildfireCa.org for tips on safe equipment use.

Photo via Shutterstock