Did you hear about the half-acre grass fire in Redwood Regional Park today?  No?  That’s probably the best sign of all, because the fire was tamped down rapidly.  Not surprisingly, our first responders worked well together.

According to the Tribune, the fire was called in before 4pm and contained by 5pm.  Firefighters from Oakland, the California Department of Forestry and East Bay Regional Parks appeared very quickly and applied brute force.

First Responders and Residents Ready

Sometimes we have to point out when good stuff happens.  Ever since the Oakland Hills fire of 1991, cooperation among first responders – regardless of jurisdiction – shows they mean business about preparing for the inevitable conflagrations.

In addition, homeowners have to adhere to strict fire safety codes and are fined if they let the hazards grow wild on their properties.  There’s plenty of responsibility shouldered by Oaklanders living in the Wildfire Prevention District (WPD).

Wildfire Prevention Takes Planning

The planning doesn’t ever end.  In fact, anyone living in the wildfire district is welcome to attend the annual WPD Advisory Committee retreat this Thursday from 9am – 5pm, at the Henry Trudeau Training Center (11500 Skyline Blvd, map).

Each year, WPD committee members take a full day to discuss Oakland’s vegetation management and education programs.  They actively shape policy, procedures and policies related to living along the urban-wilderness divide for the coming year.  The committee also meets monthly, and you can drop by any third-Thursday as well.

While we know that fires begin for multiple reasons, we still kinda like Smokey the Bear who says “only you can prevent forest fires.”  In this Redwood Regional Park flare-up, it’s not clear how the fire began but it was snuffed out well…this time.

More info:  Oakland Wildfire Prevention District – City Prevention Site – Advisory Committee – Meeting Times