Contra Costa Firefighters Battle 58 July 4 Fires

As fireworks lit up the Contra Costa County skies, firefighters dealt with the aftermath as multiple fires broke out across the county.

Preparing for the nights activities, Contra Costa County Fire increased staffing levels to ensure fires could be knocked down quickly and they had strike teams ready across the county.

Some highlights include 58 fires, a shooting in the City of Antioch that left 1 critical, another wounded. A person had a firework go off in their hand in the City of Martinez. In Pleasant Hill, firefighters battled a house fire where ammunition was going off in the garage area.

According to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District response

• 9:00 PM Hour: 19 exterior & grassfires, 3 known to have been caused by fireworks & 12 more suspected.
• 10:00 PM Hour: 19 grass & exterior fires & 2 structure fires. Of these, 3 are known fireworks caused and 16 suspected.
• 11:00 pm Hour: 10 fires, all likely caused by fireworks. Numerous EMS calls.

Overall,  Con Fire said it implemented its limited response plan to ensure resource availability for anticipated high fireworks fire volume. All told, they responded to 58 fires, 50 suspected of fireworks cause. Additionally, at least one serious injury was caused by fireworks.

Our Rundown For Central and East Contra Costa County:

 

• 8:00 pm – Oakley: confined dumpster fire at Freedom High School
• 8:11 pm – Pittsburg: 2200 Old Creek Cr for vegetation fire on a trail started by fireworks
• 8:20 pm – Concord: 1300 Hampshire Ct… outside fire/palm tree
• 8:50 pm – Pleasant Hill: 100 block Soule… fire pit fire that spread to deck
• 8:54 pm – Concord: 1500 block Willow Pass, dumpster fire
• 8:56 pm – Concord: 2200 Labador St – field on fire
• 9:10 pm – Bay Point: 60 Pomo Ct – outside fire
• 9:21 pm – Antioch: 4900 Ridgeview Dr – outside fire
• 9:24 pm – Walnut Creek: Whitecliff – tree on fire which led to a 3-acre fire.
• 9:32 pm – Antioch: 3900 Finch Drive – backyard on fire
• 9:34 pm – Antioch: Somersville Road – shopping cart on fire
• 9:40 pm – Antioch: Lone Tree Way/Prewett – grass on fire (size of a bus)
• 9:44 pm – Antioch: Vineywood Way, outside fire
• 9:45 pm – Pittsburg – 1400 springhill Dr – outside fire
• 9:47 pm – Bay Point: Springhill Dr – Outside fire
• 9:50 pm – SR160 at SR4: vegetation fire – kids lit fireworks now ridge on fire.
• 9:51 pm – Pittsburg – 53 Alturas Ave, outside fire
• 9:55 pm – Bay Point: Wharf & Port Chicago… vegetation fire
• 9:55 pm – Antioch: 2600 Hampton.. vegetation fire behind a church
• 9:56 pm – Concord: 1500 Concord Ave, outside fire
• 10:00 pm – Antioch: 1825 Trembath Way, three small fires
• 10:04 pm – Antioch: Holub Lane & E 18^th – vegetation fire (2-acres)
• 10:10 pm – Bay Point: 200 block Shore, residential structure fire/backyard fire
• 10:11 pm – Antioch – Sunset & Lone Tree Way – exterior fire, bucket on fire
• 10:17 pm – Concord: 1200 Diamond Way, fully involved RV + trees
• 10:19 pm – Bay Point: 700 Dobrich Cir… vehicle fire
• 10:19 pm – Brentwood: Adams Middle School, vegetation fire size of parking lot.. approx 1-acre
• 10:19 pm – Concord: Michigan Blvd – outside fire
• 10:29 pm – Pittsburg: N Parkside… fire up against a fence.
• 10:32 pm – Antioch: 800 W 2^nd St fireworks caught exterior on fire.
• 10:34 pm – Pittsburg: Power Ave, outside fire
• 10:39 pm – Antioch: Somersville Rd/Buchanan fire the size of a dumpster
• 10:39 pm – Pleasant Hill: 1500 Fieldcrest, residential structure fire
• 10:41 pm – Bay Point: Port Chicago vegetation fire
• 10:50 pm – Antioch: Lawton St… PD out with box of fireworks on fire
• 10:54 pm – Brentwood: Balfour & Sellers – roadside fire
• 10:58 pm – Martinez: medical call on Veale after a firework blew up in a persons hand
• 11:09 pm – Antioch: Wilbur Ave, small fire near the gate
• 11:24 pm – Antioch: W 7^th & K… subject shot in the neck, another wounded — see story
• 11:25 pm – Bay Point: 1100 Baily Road, dumpster fire
• 11:28 pm – Antioch: vegetation fire in 3000 block of Bellflower… 1/8 acre fire
• 11:33 pm – Martinez: 3400 Sentinel Dr, outside fire
• 11:35 pm – Pittsburg: W 8^th St & Herb White, outside fire

By 11:53 pm, CONFIRE announced it was ending its Fourth of July Task Force and returning to normal service.

July 5

• 12:15 am: Antioch, bush on fire at Verne Roberts and Costco Way
• 12:20 am: Antioch, small fire at Dallas Ranch and Mokelumne Dr
• 12:21 am: Antioch, vehicle crash w/rescue at SR4 and Somersville
• 1:32 am: Antioch, 2700 block Cabrillo Ct, vegetation fire
• 1:46 am: Antioch, 200 block Bluerock, outside fire
• 2:31 am: Antioch, Lone Tree & Golf Course, outside fire
• 2:47 am: Antioch, Sagebrush & Prewett, outside fire
• 2:52 am: Bay Point, 100 N Broadway, residential structure fire
• 2:52 am: Antioch, W 8th St & D St, 2-alarm residential structure fire, fully engulfed.
• 3:16 am: Antioch, 4900 Bridle Way, outside fire

Con Fire urges anyone observing fireworks being used to report this to their local law enforcement non-emergency line by calling 1-833-885-2021. Con Fire’s Fire Investigation Unit also asks residents to help them fight the dangerous use of illegal fireworks by reporting fireworks sales across the county to the Arson Tip Line at 1-866-50-ARSON.