Escaped flames from 2 burnpiles torch about 3 acres near Santa Rosa

Two brush fires that started as pile burns Tuesday morning spread across at least 3 acres of rural residential land near Santa Rosa, requiring quick responses by firefighting crews to control the flames.

About 10:30 a.m. Cal Fire and the Sonoma County Fire District were dispatched to an escaped residential pile burn in the Mark West Springs area, on the northeastern outskirts of Santa Rosa.

When firefighters arrived at the 1600 block of Anaheim Court, the fire was covering an area about 100 feet by 300 feet of grass and brush, said Sonoma County Fire District Fire Marshal Cyndi Foreman.

The burn was contained to 1.5 acres on property where it started by about 11 a.m., Foreman said. No structures were burned and no injuries were reported.

About 13 minutes later, another escaped pile burn on private property was reported north of Hood Mountain in the 6900 block of Wildwood Mountain Road, Foreman said.

Cal Fire, the Sonoma County Fire District and Santa Rosa Fire Department responded. A Cal Fire helicopter made two drops of 650 gallons of water to aid the operation, said Jason Clay, spokesperson for the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit.

Firefighters stopped the spread of the fire about 12:30 p.m., according to a Cal Fire tweet.

The fire covered about 1.5 acres on the southeastern outskirts of Santa Rosa. The fire stayed on the property where it originated and no structures were damaged. No injuries were reported.

The pair of escaped fires prompted a reminder from fire authorities: Residents are advised to keep debris in a 4 foot by 4 foot space, have a water supply close to the burnpile and make sure an adult is present at all times.

“Following those steps can ensure that the fire doesn’t escape,” Clay said. “This is for your own safety, for yourself and your property, and the same of your surrounding neighbors.”

Clay added he did not know if these procedures were followed during the two Tuesday morning burns.

Foreman said that while burning is a valuable tool for rural property owners to get rid of unwanted vegetation, it needs to be done carefully.

“It’s also a big responsibility that people have to take seriously and make sure that they have multiple safety precautions in place,” she said.

Foreman encouraged people to not burn on windy days.

“It might be an affirmative burn day,” she said, “but it’s not a responsible burn day.”

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. Her Twitter is madi.smals.