Close call after vegetation fire breaks out near homes and school in Hollister
HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION) - It was a close call for neighbors in Hollister after a fire broke out in their backyard.
"I think always a concern that anything could hurt a student," said Lilia Espinoza, Principal of R.O Elementary School.
The fire is also near an elementary school where summer school has just begun.
"anything close to the children is obviously a little nerve-racking," said Christine Brannen, a teacher, and person who lives near where the fire occurred.
At around 4 o’clock Monday evening, a vegetation fire broke out near a neighborhood and a school in Hollister.
"We always try to prepare for anything," said Lilia Espinoza.
The principal at R.O Harden Elementary School says she was a little nervous about the 250 children attending summer school but says they’re prepared.
"There's always the concern that you know, a student might get hurt in any situation. but no, I do feel pretty confident with our just our procedures or protocols that we have in place."
Although the fire was only an acre and contained in about 30 minutes the Hollister Fire Department said it could have been much worse.
"Fortunately, there was a rapid moderate rate of spread, but fortunately the lot had actually been abated. so we had gone through the process. I got that a lot to care for, the weeds, for a process, so, fortunately, that was it," said Charlie Bedolla, Fire Marshal for San Benito County and Hollister Fire Department.
Kate Wilkin a professor at San Jose State University says mitigating an area twice a year is standard, which is what the Hollister Fire Department says they do, but says fires are still a concern by the way the grass is looking this time of year.
"As we look around the hillsides around us they went from green to flowers to back to green and now they're started to brown so as all of those annual grasses die from the year we can expect more fires to sweep through them," Kate Wilkin.
"Our administration will take that into consideration and work with the fire department to make sure it's a safe place for children," said Brannen.
The fire department says they think a firework started the fire but it's still under investigation.
