The wildland crew that maintains fuel breaks in Orinda's hills is fighting fires in Washington state as Lamorinda faces its hottest stretch of the summer.

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District deployed its 20-person Crew 12 Handcrew and four additional personnel to five active wildfires in Washington and Oregon, the district's public information office announced on X Monday, Aug. 3. The deployment coincides with a National Weather Service heat advisory and near-critical fire weather conditions across the East Bay through the weekend.

Crew 12 is assigned to the Little Giant Fire, a lightning-caused blaze burning across Chelan and Okanogan counties in Washington's Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. As of Aug. 4, the fire had grown to roughly 59,000 acres with 0% containment, threatening more than 1,800 structures. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency Aug. 1.

Four other Con Fire personnel deployed to separate fires: a communications unit leader to the Old Trails Fire in Spokane County, Washington (3,621 acres, 0% contained); a communications technician to the Second Flat Fire near Burns, Oregon (102,000 acres, 18% contained); a safety officer to the Coleman Creek Fire near Crane, Oregon (200,000 acres, 0% contained); and a communications technician to the Coyote Fire in Oregon (17,476 acres, 77% contained as of July 30).

Local fire danger

The East Bay Times reported the NWS forecasts temperatures in the mid-90s to near 105 degrees from Thursday through Saturday, with near-critical fire weather conditions at elevations above 1,000 feet, low daytime humidity and moderate afternoon winds. Concord and Livermore recorded highs of 95 degrees Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Con Fire has more than 670 firefighters and staff across 35 stations covering 582 square miles. The district did not issue a public statement about how the deployment affects local coverage.

Crew 12 is the same handcrew that partners with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District on fuel reduction projects in Lamorinda, including the North Orinda Shaded Fuel Break on Wildcat Canyon Road and a fuel break along Highway 24 near Orindawoods Drive, according to Diablo Fire Safe Council records. No return date has been set.

At a May 11 wildfire preparedness press conference covered by the East Bay Times, Con Fire Battalion Chief Tom Zurflueh warned of escalating conditions in Contra Costa County: "One of the things that we see in this area is intense fire behavior in the last few years. [There's] increased fire behavior around homes."

How to prepare

Con Fire has urged residents to maintain defensible space around their homes and sign up for the Contra Costa County Community Warning System at cwsalerts.com. To report a wildfire or smoke, call 911.