The Alameda County Fire Department demonstrated Monday how quickly fireworks can cause grass fires.
This week’s high temperatures have firefighters worried that firefighters will be overloaded this Independence Day.
“The temperatures always seem to get warmer around the Fourth of July,” said Division Chief Randall West of the Alameda County Fire Department. “It’s like this is the week of the year for us. The sun is hotter and the grass is drier.”
Emergency responders across the Bay Area are looking at the confluence of the calendar and the weather forecast and seeing problems.
“We’re here now with a couple more pieces of equipment that specialize in responding to wildland fires,” said Capt. Eric Truax as the vehicles were deployed.
Alameda County Fire is just one of the departments hiring this week, and they even set a hillside on fire to show how dry it already is. And on the Fourth of July, it’s rarely just one fire.
“If we have a small grass fire in Castro Valley, we’re responding with all these specialized resources to Castro Valley,” Truax explained. “Now we have something in Livermore. Now we have to balance who goes to Castro Valley and who goes to Livermore. Meanwhile, a fire is going on in Union City. Now we have three different cities, driving through the Bay Area, because of the traffic.”
“We’re talking about 50 to 100 patients in our institution around that holiday season,” said Dr. Clifford Sheckter of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
The head of the burn unit joined Santa Clara County’s request for a holiday curtailment. And law enforcement is also mobilizing for the annual wave of illegal fireworks.
“We’re sending extra patrols, both marked and unmarked units, people are shooting these anti-aircraft guns and larger ammunition,” said Capt. Sean McMillan of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s illegal, they’re dangerous.”
And all of this will be further complicated by all the additional medical calls that can come with extreme heat, and as first responders in the Bay Area prepare.
“We can go out and do all the community education we can,” West added. “But what we need is for the community to do their part to be safe.”
