RHFD

RODEO-HERCULES FIRE DISTRICT/ CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT/PINOLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

(BATTALION 7)

M E D I A   R E L E A S E 

DATE: 9/22/11

TIME OF ALARM: 11:25:27

TYPE OF INCIDENT: Second Alarm Vegetation Fire

LOCATION: 245 Carson St.

RESPONSE:

ASSISTING AGENCIES: CAL Fire, East Bay Regional Parks Fire, Marin County Fire, El Cerrito Fire Department, Moraga Orinda Fire District, Hercules PD, and Hercules Public Works.

 TOTAL FIRE PERSONNEL AT SCENE: 100

 FIRE INFORMATION:

 Control Time: 12:54:35

 Property Saved: Multiple homes south and west of the incident location

 Cause: Negligent use of cutting tools

Incident details:

At 11:25:27 hours this morning the Rodeo-Hercules Fire District/Pinole Fire Department/Contra Costa County Fire District (Battalion 7), Crockett-Carquinez Fire District and CAL Fire responded to a Vegetation Fire to the rear of 245 Carson St. in the City of Hercules. Quint 76 arrived at scene and reported 1 acre of grass burning with a rapid rate of spread moving uphill to the east of the homes on Carson. First alarm companies initiated hose lays on both flanks of the fire in steep terrain. A second alarm was called to protect homes in Hercules and keep the fire north and east of Reffugio Valley Rd. This fire occurred in a Mutual Threat Zone which initiated an automatic response from CAL Fire adding an Air Attack Supervisor, 2 Air Tankers, 1 Helicopter, 8 Engines, 2 Bulldozers, 2 Hand Crews, and 2 Battalion Chiefs to the response. With the assistance of all of these resources the fire was contained to 20 acres of grass, brush, and trees. There were no injuries to citizens or firefighters. No homes were damaged. Firefighters remained at scene for over five hours cutting hand line and mopping-up hot spots. Bulldozers could not be used in the area because of slide activity and steep terrain. The Moraga-Orinda Fire District and Contra Costa County Fire District (Martinez) covered Battalion 7 Stations during the incident.   

 PRESS RELEASE BY: Lon Goetsch, Battalion Chief     DATE: 9/22/11 21:50 hrs.

CONTACT PERSON / PHONE NUMBER: Lon Goetsch, 925-941-3518, LGoet@CCCFPD.ORG.

On 9/11/11, Four Firefighters and two reserve Firefighters from Rodeo Hercules Fire District, one Hercules Police Department Officer (Iam Basias) and one East Bay Parks Firefighter (Derek Cochnauer),  along with many other Firefighters and Police Officers from around the state, country, and overseas attended the 9/11 Memorial Stair climb at the TransAmerica Pyramid in San Francisco. The event consisted of each participant to climb the skyscraper, wearing the name and photograph of one of the 343 firefighters who died on 9/11.   All eight climbed the building twice. More importantly, all 343 FDNY Firefighters made it to the top today. “We climbed because they climbed”

On the morning of September 11, 2011, local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts performed a flag ceremony at the Hercules Fire Station.   Members of the Fire District and local residents attended and met to honor their local firefighters.