Ready to Burn

Piles were ready to burn in the Hillside Natural Area. This photo was taken April 11.

Starting Monday morning, El Cerrito firefighters plan to start igniting piles of dried brush in the Hillside Natural Area, according to Battalion Chief Chase Beckman. He said the fire department has a permit to burn from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The planned burning to reduce fuel for wildfire is done in partnership with the volunteer group Friends of the Hillside, which works to remove invasive species there.

Residents May See Smoke

Residents may see smoke, Beckman said.

“There is no need to call 9-1-1,” he said.

Extensive preparation has been done.

Making It Safe

Volunteers with Friends of the Hillside have piled vegetation in accordance with Bay Area permit requirements for burning, Beckman said. These include limits on the height and width of piles and rules that assure good clearance so no overhead canopy or adjacent fuel can spread a fire, Beckman said.

Around the piles is a dirt line with no vegetation created with hand tools. On the days when piles are burned, “we will have hose lines in place,” Beckman said.

Rain Won’t Prevent Ignition

Rain over the weekend is not expected to delay the plan or stop the piles from igniting, he said, because all the fuels in the pile have cured for at least 60 days. There will be a spot weather check before lighting piles.

About ten of the piles are the “mother piles,” and another 40 or so are “feeder piles” because firefighters will pull the vegetation and add it to the mother piles.

The plan for Monday morning calls for a full engine company to launch the operation from the East Bay Municipal Utility District property at 7608 Potrero Ave.

Hikers who like to walk the fire trails in the Hillside Natural Area may be asked to change routes if they are close to the burn areas, Beckman said.

El Cerrito Fire has already informed its emergency command center, the Contra Costa Communications Center, along with the Richmond Fire Department, and East Bay MUD. Notifications will go out on El Cerrito’s Nixle alert system.

If residents have questions or concerns, they can call the El Cerrito Fire Department at 510-215-4450.

Friends of the Hillside

Friends of the Hillside have a web site explaining that removing highly flammable invasive species like French broom reduces fire risk and increases resiliency of “hundreds of native plant species that retain moisture, stabilize soils, support biodiversity, and efficiently sequester carbon.”

“This is a zero-cost community where you can come and go as your schedule allows,” the site says.

More information can be found here.