Firefighters Battle Brush Fire in Magee Ranch

Firefighters kept a brush fire away from a Danville neighborhood Tuesday afternoon after it was sparked by landscaping equipment.

At approximately 11:32 a.m. Tuesday afternoon, firefighters from the San Ramon Valley Fire Department were dispatched to a report of a vegetation fire near the Magee Ranch neighborhood in Danville.

According to San Ramon Valley Fire Chief Paige Meyer, fire crews found approximately 2-3 acres ablaze on a hillside behind Glen Hollow Road. Firefighters began aggressively attacking the fire and quickly stopped its forward spread.

Meyer says that no structures were threatened during the fire, allowing firefighters to focus on fighting the actual fire rather than being preoccupied with protecting nearby homes. Fire crews kept the size of the fire to less than 3 acres.

Fire officials have concluded that the fire was sparked by crews operating machinery to trim grass and remove debris. Crews were attempting to create defensible space for the property in the event of a fire.

Tuesday’s fire was the second fire in a week started by landscaping equipment (see last week’s 33 acre fire).

Meyer wants to remind residents to avoid operating weed abatement/mowing equipment in windy, high temperature conditions. If necessary, it is best to operate that kind of equipment in the morning when temperatures are lower. Meyer says a small fire can get out of control quickly, so have some kind of method of suppression (such as fire extinguisher or hose) nearby when operating machinery close to dry vegetation.