Prescribed Burn at Sycamore Grove Park in Livermore

Here's information provided by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department:

On May 2, 2013, the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department (LPFD) in conjunction with the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD) conducted a prescribed burn at the Sycamore Grove Park.

This burn was conducted with the primary objective of restoring native plants and grasses to the hillsides of Sycamore Grove. A secondary benefit of fuel management was also recognized in today’s burn. LPFD Firefighters started the burn operation at 10:30 a.m. this morning and concluded by 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. The southwest wind carried smoke away from local populated areas, but was visible for multiple miles.

This burn was conducted the morning after a Red Flag Warning expired in the East Bay hills. While conditions in the greater Bay Area have created critical fire behavior over the past few days, the low humidity, relatively high temperatures and favorable wind led to ideal conditions for an early season prescribed burn within this park. Approximately 12 acres were burned over the course of the day in the western portion of the open space park.

This prescribed burn was also utilized as a training opportunity for the joint Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department / Moraga Orinda Fire Department (MOFD) Recruit Fire Academy that is in their 9th week of Firefighter Training. The Recruits were able to practice fire attacks, hose lays and lighting backfires. Both organizations have extensive areas of urban wildland interface that they protect making this a highly beneficial training opportunity.

If weather conditions allow, an additional prescribed burn will take place tomorrow (Friday, May 3, 2013) at Sycamore Grove. Area residents and visitors may see smoke conditions similar to today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. related to this.