Rare June Rain Aided Firefighters In San Rafael Blaze: City Officials

SAN RAFAEL, CA — A rare June rainstorm may have helped San Rafael avert catastrophe.

A fire that erupted Monday night near Dominican University was stopped in its tracks after burning a two-acre eucalyptus on steep hillside off Deer Park Road.

The blaze, first reported at 9:50 p.m. between Deer Park and Highland avenues, triggered door-to-door evacuations at five homes.

More than two inches of rain fell on Mount Tamalpais during a 24-hour period that ended late Sunday night, and most of Marin saw moderate to heavy rainfall. Nearly two inches fell on Mill Valley over the same time period, according to the NWS.

“The fire traveled up hill in a mix of grasses, shrubs and Eucalyptus trees,” city officials said.

“Aided by calm weather and recent rains, crews were able to stop the forward progress of the fire by 11 p.m. and were pleased to report no injuries or damage to homes or property.”

Multiple fire and law enforcement agencies responded to the blaze, sending 19 engines to the scene.

The main blaze was held to just over an acre but an eber sparked an additional 0.4-acre blaze.

All evacuations were lifted by midnight. Fire crews remained on scene throughout the night and continued “mop-up” Tuesday.

“This fire serves as an important reminder that all residents need to take steps to adapt to wildfire and be prepared for emergencies and disasters,” city officials said.

“The City and County offer a variety of resources to support residents in these efforts, including free defensible space evaluations, free chipper services, and grants to support defensible space and home hardening. Information on all these services as well as information on steps the City and County are taking to reduce wildfire risk are available at SRFD.org.

Residents should visit SROES.org and ReadyMarin.org for information on all hazard preparedness, including information on having a personal emergency plan, go-bag, and evacuation plan.