Fire Starts During Vegetation Work In San Rafael: FD

SAN RAFAEL, CA — A wildfire mitigation crew accidentally sparked a vegetation fire while working on San Rafael Hill Tuesday, but firefighters contained the blaze to less than half an acre within about 30 minutes, officials said.

The fire started around 10:47 a.m. on Robert Dollar Fire Road above the Robert Dollar Drive vista. The contracted crew immediately called 911 and used firefighting equipment required under its vegetation-management contract to begin suppressing the flames.

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San Rafael Fire Department crews quickly responded and contained the fire. No structures were threatened, no evacuations were required and no injuries were reported. Officials reported no damage.

Three chief officers, five engines, a paramedic ambulance, water tender, water-dropping helicopter, drone and fire investigator were assigned to the response.

Existing fire roads and previous fuel-reduction work on Lincoln Hill helped firefighters contain the fire and reduce the risk of it spreading, officials said.

The incident was the first since San Rafael launched its open-space vegetation-management program in 2020 in which a city-contracted wildfire mitigation team contributed to a fire ignition.

The city said the crew cooperated with the response and review. Contractors working on vegetation management are required to carry equipment including backpack water pumps, extinguishers and hand tools, which the crew used to establish control lines.

Officials said completed fuel-reduction work on Lincoln Hill has helped reduce fire behavior and support firefighter operations during previous wildfires.