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4 Grassfires Keep CoCo County Firefighters Busy

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Oct 3, 2009 8:08 pm US/Pacific

4 Grassfires Keep CoCo County Firefighters Busy

PINOLE (BCN) ―

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Firefighters in Contra Costa County spent hours Saturday afternoon battling four grass fires that burned more than 85 acres before they were contained.

The largest fire burned about 75 acres west of Kirker Pass Road, in an unincorporated area between Pittsburg and Concord, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

The fire started about 5 p.m. Cal Fire and Contra Costa County fire crews contained the flames at 6:16 p.m.

Another fire charred about 10 acres off Alhambra Valley Road, about a half-mile east of Castro Ranch Road, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jim Crawford said. That fire began about 3:40 p.m. and was contained at 5:12 p.m.

Cal Fire had extra crews on hand today because of high, gusty winds in the forecast, Crawford said.

"We were prepared for this because we saw the front going through was going to give us a lot of wind," Crawford said. "We're lucky we had a lot of little fires, instead of one big fire."

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory covering much of the Bay Area today, forecasting wind gusts of at least 45 mph. The advisory runs through 10 p.m.

Firefighters also put out two smaller grass fires in Contra Costa County today.

A structure fire turned into a grass fire, burning about a quarter-acre near San Pablo Dam and Hillcrest roads outside Pinole, Crawford said. That fire was contained at 5:41 p.m.

And one county fire engine also responded to a "very small" grass fire between Brentwood and Discovery Bay, near Chestnut Street and Eden Plains Road, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

Outside the Bay Area, a grass fire burned itself out in San Joaquin County near Tracy, east of the Altamont Pass, Crawford said.

The fire started off Interstate Highway 580 near Mountain House Road about 5:40 p.m., and burned about 25 acres in 20 minutes, Crawford said.

"It contained itself," Crawford said. "It ran until it ran into the aqueduct and ran out of fuel."