See or Smell Smoke Near Camp Parks in Dublin?

If you smell or see smoke near Camp Parks (in Dublin) on September 26, 29 and/or 30, 2014, please do not be alarmed. The Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) will be conducting a training burn. The burn will be conducted between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., and will be burned in small, low fire-intensity sections. In total, the burn will be approximately 200 acres.

Training burns are carefully planned and must meet strict criteria of fuel conditions, weather parameters, smoke management and fire safety guidelines. When all conditions (prescriptions) are met, firefighters burn while monitoring the set criteria, fire behavior and designated fire control lines.

This low intensity fire in the natural environment has two primary purposes: 1) to reduce the opportunity for destructive uncontrolled fires, and 2) to provide safe fire training. This area is susceptible to rapidly moving fires in the late summer and early fall. The training burns will increase the defensible space for residents in the area and Camp Parks.

Although the benefits of training burns are clear, there are also notable concerns. Two of the most important are the possibilities of fire spreading to adjacent properties and smoke intrusions in populated areas. Good management will reduce these concerns. The ACFD plans to notify the local community through different types of media (media release, website, social media) including door-to-door campaign in the days prior to the burns. Recruit firefighters will visit homes in the Windemere area of San Ramon and the Tassajara area of Dublin to ensure each resident is reminded to keep doors and windows closed on the morning of September 26th through the evening of September 30th.

For additional information, visit the ACFD website at www.acgov.org/fire, follow the ACFD on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlamedaCoFire or call Dublin Fire Prevention at (925) 833-6606 or Public Information Officer Aisha Knowles at (510) 693-3439.

—Information, logo submitted by Alameda County Fire