A wildfire fried 10 acres of grass on Johnston Road in the Tassajara Valley, east of Danville, last week on Wednesday, Sept. 5. Four firefighters suffered minor injuries. Residents living on Johnston called the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District at 10:45 a.m., said Battalion Chief John Viera.
Twelve engines, two water tenders, tank trunks, two air tankers, one helicopter and one air attack plane responded to the call, with assistance from Cal Fire.
Approximately 50 firefighters were at the scene. They used hose lines, hand tools and foam to stop the fire. The blaze threatened six homes on Johnston Road, but there were no residents hurt and their properties remained undamaged, said Viera.
Four firefighters suffered minor injuries, including a laceration and knee wounds. One firefighter was taken to the hospital. Fire personnel quickly quelled the fire, leaving swathes of black on the high slopes.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Viera said. Air danger is high in the grassy areas when the weather has been hot and dry.
Residents in the San Ramon Valley and regions further north and south could not even see Mount Diablo through the haze, although Viera said this was probably due to a fire burning in Plumas County, which burned more than 12,000 acres. Another fire was also burning in Henry W. Coe State Park east of Morgan Hill.
-Jordan M. Doronila
