The "Somersville Fire," as officials call it, broke out on Somersville Road in Antioch near the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve yesterday and progressed rapidly, threatening local residences. According to a report by KRON4, the fire consumed around 290 acres before it was 80% contained early this morning.
Despite the aggressive response, which involved both Contra Costa Fire Protection District and Cal Fire crews, the blaze came worryingly close to homes in the area, forcing residents to confront the possibility of evacuation. The evacuation warning was lifted before 10 PM yesterday, and by 1:45 PM today, the fire was declared 100% contained with no further forward progress following the ignition of 358 acres. Residents like Cordell Bell faced a night of uncertainty, worrying about their homes as they received calls about the fire's proximity. Bell said, as per ABC7 News, that you "always have your paperwork prepared, your documents, or whatever you want to grab before you leave your house."
An air quality advisory was also issued due to the fire's smoke potentially impacting Contra Costa County, with the Bay Area Air District warning of unhealthy air quality levels as of last night. The cause of the Somersville Fire is still under investigation, and authorities have reported that one person was transported to the hospital for minor injuries. As firefighters continued with mop-up efforts today, residents faced the arduous task of cleaning up their properties, which were coated in a pink fire retardant to protect them from the flames.
