The wet weather this spring has boosted wildflowers and produced vivid green hillsides.  But the added rain also causes wild grasses to grow thicker and taller, and foliage to be more abundant. In the warm season, the soils dry out, the grass cures to a crisp, golden yellow and the moisture in the leaves of brush and trees declines. The hillsides turn brown, dry and flammable. Dust rising from the hiking trail and the strong scent of pine and eucalyptus tell us summer is here and so is the wildfire season.  

The Park District’s fire department works year-round to reduce the threat of wildfire by thinning dry brush and oily eucalyptus, and strategically eliminating dead or dying trees. Our professional firefighters and contract work crews follow our fuels management plan to reduce wildfire hazards within the parklands and neighboring communities. In recent years, we have also mobilized Civicorps and Student Conservation Association crews, neighborhood volunteer groups, Ca. Dept. of Corrections & Rehabilitation crews, and individual volunteers – as well as thousands of goats – to reduce the potential for wildfires, especially in the wildland/urban interface.  

Funding for this critical fuels management program is provided by grants from funders including the State of California, PG&E (via the Regional Parks Foundation), and federal programs such as FEMA and the Diablo Fire Safe Council. Additional funding comes from EBRPD’s Measure CC as well as annual appropriations by the District’s Board of Directors. 

While our efforts to reduce the risk of severe wildfires are extensive, residents can take steps to reduce flammable brush and foliage around their homes too.  Visit ebparks.org or contact your local fire department for tips on reducing fire risks.

General Manager Robert E. Doyle

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