A Contra Costa Fire Protection District spokesperson said Sunday the district anticipates "several more days" of flooding marsh area near Bay Point and Pittsburg in an attempt to extinguish the Marsh Fire, which has burned since May.
Con Fire tweeted Sunday afternoon that approximately 20,000 gallons per minute are flowing on the site, thanks to the owner pumping water from the Delta and Contra Costa Water District diverting water at Mallard Slough.
The effort started Friday, after several days of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District extending an air quality advisory for wildfire smoke in the eastern part of the county, which is set to continue through Monday. The smoke has been impacting the areas of Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley and Brentwood.
The stubborn fire, which has burned about 500 acres, is now mostly consuming peat, a spongy material formed by the partial decomposition of organic matter, usually plant material found in wetlands. Con Fire officials said peat fires are very difficult to extinguish, though this one is nearly out of fuel. Peat can be found down to six feet below the surface.
The fire started May 28 near a Bay Point homeless encampment. It flared up more than a week ago and threatened PG&E lines and homes near Pittsburg, before firefighters got it back under control.
The BAAQMD air quality advisory is not a Spare the Air alert, the air district said, but people with sensitivities to smoke and other pollutants are advised to take precautions such staying indoors with the windows and doors closed and using re-circulated air in vehicles when driving.
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