At sunset last night, a small brush fire singed the eastern tip of Bernal Hill.
It was the second blaze on the hill in as many months, following a small brush fire in the same general area that broke out last July 4, just after the annual fireworks show.
Bernalwood Contributor Joe Thomas lives near last night’s fire zone, and he swung into action when he saw the flames, transforming himself into a one-man Bernalwood Action News satellite truck.
In addition to taking the photos you see above, Joe also filed this report:
I started smelling smoke around 7:30 and went outside to see what was burning (hopefully not anybody’s house). A neighbor heading the other way said the hill was on fire, and sure enough, it was. The fire was next to the patch that burned on July 4th, and extended to the south and uphill. As I arrived, a city vehicle went by, followed quickly by two fire engines. I overheard a neighbor (who was holding a small fire extinguisher) say to one of the firemen “We did what we could with this little fire extinguisher.”
The SFFD quickly extinguished the flames, leaving a newly charred patch of hill for the rest of us as an unfortunate souvenir.
Of course, what’s an Action (action… action…) News (news… news…) team without some dramatic video? Joe got that too (even without the fancy satellite truck):
PHOTOS AND VIDEO: Joe Thomas. GRAPHIC: Bernal via Google Earth
Bernalwood 
Once again the SFFD has come to the rescue. We have the finest fire department in the country. When you need them they are there.
I drove past it last night and thought it was a controlled burn… With two wildfires breaking out in as many months, wouldn’t this be a good preventative measure in the future? Especially during extended dry periods?
yeah or they can call those goats up there to keep the grass trimmed
1) Todd, you are amazing. The action news lower third is dreamy. 2) Goats FTW! We’d need a way to keep them safe from unleashed dogs… 3) I live a block from these fires and never see or smell them. I also never hear the trucks. Weird.
So, when are they supposed to start on the renovations to our lovely hill?
I blame “The Curse of the Marmot”.
“He knows too much, he’s seen the curse-d treasure…”
I’ve lived up at the top of Bernal Hill for 40 plus years. There have been fires every year at the top of the hill. So far I have never seen the fire jump the boulevard. The grass doesn’t burn hot enough.