Crews battle wildfires across the Bay Area, fire season gets underway

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Several wildfires are being reported across the Bay Area this weekend, including at Lake Cunningham in San Jose and the Snell Fire in Napa County. Brush fires have also been reported in Watsonville and Sonoma County east of Cloverdale. 

So far no structure damage or injuries have been reported in any of these fires, but Cal Fire says they are a good reminder that wildfires can and will still happen despite the wet weather earlier in 2023.  

"It is a windy day. We’ve had wind gusts up to 25 miles per hour. So people downwind south of this location will be smelling some smoke for a little bit of time," said Capt. John Lee of the San Jose Fire Department.

San Jose fire officials say a wind-driven fire burned about an acre of grass at Lake Cunningham Sunday afternoon after 4 p.m. As 32 firefighters worked to contain the fire, the park was not evacuated and the fire was contained within a few hours.  

"I don’t know how the fire started, but I’m hoping we reduce the amount of fires we have here in California," said San Jose resident Isabella.

Despite the heavy rain the Bay Area received this past winter, fire officials say dry brush may still cause dangerous fire conditions. 

In Napa County, the Snell fire began Friday night near Hope Valley, burning 103 acres. As of Sunday evening, the fire is 90% contained. Cal Fire’s Napa unit says they’ll continue removing burning materials inside the control line and a strike team will remain on site overnight. 

"We’re really in kind of mop-up operations and that’s just our crews working to make sure we’re extinguishing hot spots, removing hazards from trees, and doing that type of work to get this thing shored up," said Jason Clay, a Cal Fire spokesperson.  

Cal Fire says the fire conditions they see now are typical for this time of year. From Jan. 1 to June 13, Cal Fire’s Napa unit says it has battled 83 fires covering 29 acres, a much smaller amount compared to this time last year. Clay says people shouldn’t let their guard down. 

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"Now is really a good time to start doing some of that work around your home, some of that defensible space. Clearing brush and vegetation, giving yourself that safety buffer around your home, should a wildfire come your way," Clay said. 

Clay also says, although there may be an uptick in wildfires at this time of the year, California’s drought conditions mean wildfires can happen at any time and people should be prepared all year long. 

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