Seasonal Reminder: Kindly Refrain From Incinerating Bernal Hill on July Fourth

/ Todd_Lappin
hillfire1

Bernal Hill on fire, July 4, 2013

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July! Hooray! There will be barbecues, and patriotism, and lamentations that our president is a clown, and at the end of the day there will be fireworks. That last part can pose some problems, so here’s a seasonal request for all Citizens of Bernalwood: Please do not turn Bernal Hill into a blazing inferno.

Bernal Hill is a popular place to watch the official fireworks pink fog show put on by the City, but the dry grass makes it a dangerous place for civilians to stage their own fireworks displays. For example, the photo above shows Bernal Hill on July 4, 2013, after an amateur fireworks show set the hill on fire. Doh!

That was bad. Let’s not do that again. So here’s your annual reminder of some time-tested Fourth of July fire prevention tips for Bernal Hill from Neighbor Sarah:

1. 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 nothing else, remember this: No. Fireworks. On. Bernal. Hill.

2. 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. Again, call 553-0123 if you see fireworks in progress, and call 911 if it actually sets off a fire.

PHOTO: Fire on Bernal Hill, July 4, 2013, by Neighbor Bernard

8 thoughts on “Seasonal Reminder: Kindly Refrain From Incinerating Bernal Hill on July Fourth”

  1. thank you for this altho i assume the people who do read it will be about as responsive as the police department when you try to get thru to them about illegal fireworks in the area. right now i’m particularly concerned about the poor coyote, who may not have been exposed to this insanity before.

    • I expect she’ll find a place off the hill.

      My wife and I were there in 2013 and I saw some really stupid behavior by that unique class known as “stupid young men.” With the brush and the dry foliage from our heavy winter rains it will be uniquely dangerous this year.

    • That block was brick for as long as anyone can remember, but in the early 200’s the City claimed the sewer was collapsing and they would have to do the work, then remove and not replace the bricks. A sturdy group of neighbors kept pressure on them to re-brick and after many years the City found the money to do it. If you look at the sidewalk on the northeast corner of Winfield and Cortland, you will see some tiles recounting the history of the street.

  3. A special note about bottle rockets is in order. Several years ago people set off bottle rockets that landed on roofs and set buildings on fire. I remember two in one year, and one of the buildings was around 25th and Cesar Chavez.

  4. Oh, sorry, about the above post, 25th and Cesar Chavez are parallel with each other. Anyway, the building what was set on fire was around 25th at about Folsom or South Van Ness.

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