It’s Fourth of July Weekend, which is a joyous magnificent thing. Happy Birthday America!
There are two essential things for all Bernalese to keep in mind on this holiday weekend:
1) Morons Will Try to Burn Down Bernal Hill on Saturday, July 4
Well, they won’t deliberately seek to burn down Bernal Hill. Nevertheless, history teaches us that during the City’s big fireworks display on July 4, Bernal Hill will be a popular place to watch the show. Many of those spectators will bring their own fireworks, and they will ignite them amid much whooping and cheering on Bernal Hill. This is a moronic to do, because the grass on Bernal Hill is very dry this time of year, and it’s very, very easy to trigger a big brush fire. Like this Fourth of July blaze in 2013:
Eeeek! So let us now recall the July Fourth Pro Tips that Neighbor Sarah shared last year:
Do not set off fireworks. Definitely don’t set them off on Bernal Hill, which is covered in dry grasses and brush. You may recall that [in 2013], some moron set the Hill on fire. Luckily, no one was hurt, but imagine if this had happened in an area crowded with people watching the downtown fireworks display. If you remember no other item on this list, remember this one. No. Fireworks. On. Bernal. Hill.
If you see someone setting off illegal fireworks on Bernal Hill, call the police. Dial 553-0123 if nothing is on fire yet. Dial 911 or 553-8090 if there is an active blaze.
Okay, with that squared away, let’s talk about The Day After…
2. There Will Be a Neighborly Bernal Hill Clean-Up on Sunday, July 5
Notiwthstanding the admonitions contained within Item 1 above, there will still be a lot of post-party trash strewn around Bernal Hill after all the fireworky boom-booms. It happens. Fortunately, some of your finest and most valiant neighbors are planning a massive Sunday morning clean-up on the hill, and they want to meet you. Neighbor Edie from the Bernal GO! Team tells us:
The Bernal Go Team will be holding our annual Hilltop Cleanup this Sunday, July 5th from 10am to 11am. What a great time to catch some sun, get a little exercise, and clean up our hill after the festivities on the 4th. Gloves, bags, and pick up sticks will be provided by SF Rec and Park. We’ll meet by the notice board in the parking area of Bernal Heights Boulevard on the south side of the hill near Anderson. With questions, call or text me at 415 515-2397.
Do it.
Have a great weekend, Bernal Heights.
Bernalwood 
I have 2 dogs a newborn and catsitting for a friend and a husband that has PTSD from being in iraq he is a NOT HAPPY, the idiots down the street on ogden and gates think its funny to set off massive fireworks my poor husband and pets are all in the back room closet… 😕😠
Are you serious, dogs, and dog owners, are a bigger threat and nuisance to Bernal Hill than fireworks will ever be. Erosion, dog shit, dog piss, dog noise all year long, is significantly worse than one night of fireworks. Stop the doggie denial, the best way to restore Bernal Hill is to ban the dogs.
Sic ‘im
Inconvenient for some who prioritize (some specific) animals over many other people and things. But you talk sense. End the canine shit and piss fest that has become BH.
Bernal for the longtime human residents, first!
Dudes/Dudettes. Its really not a HUGE deal. Yeah, lighting fireworks in any area with brush has potential for fire. That picture you posted is no “eeeek” worthy photo. And to be even more frank with you, no fire on Bernal Hill is going to put any homes in danger, they’ll never be aggressive enough to jump the street and ignite a home. If it ever does, post an article on Bernalwood about this comment of mine and go to town on me. Y’all are being alarmists and getting on the cases of those of us who like a good show. We’ve got the cops to worry about, now we need to worry about being judged and labeled as vandals by our fellow neighbors. Gimme a break. Ive lived in Bernal for decades and this new era of Bernal neighbors love to get up in arms about everything and anything. Its like you guys have never lived in a city before…oh wait….
“Going to town” on you seems little consolation for house-fires that didn’t happen to you.
No need to be calm, cool, and collected. Panic makes great headlines.
I was up on the hill running at 8:30 am-ish (pre-clean up) and was really pleased to see how nicely the outsiders treated our hill! I found one Whole Foods bag and managed to fill it with one load of bottles, fireworks casings and latte cups. Other than that and a few sparklers (and a pillow down the hillside that I couldn’t quite reach) it all looked pretty buttoned up! Well done, outsiders!