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The Dish area in the Stanford foothills, popular with hikers and joggers, will remain closed at least through July 8 because of extreme fire danger. Some 200 acres in the area burned last week.
“We remain very concerned about the possibility of another fire, especially given continued high temperatures and low humidity,” said David Demarest, the university’s vice president for public affairs. “We will use this time to assess what steps can be taken to further decrease fire danger in the area.”
A wildfire near Junipero Serra Boulevard on June 25 was likely caused by human activity, according to Palo Alto fire officials. No homes or university structures burned in the blaze.
“We were very fortunate last week,” Demarest said. “The quick and focused response of local and regional fire agencies was critical in containing the fire, and wind conditions cooperated with firefighters. But we need to take some time to make sure that we do as much as we can to ensure the safety of homeowners in the Dish area as well as the hikers and joggers who use the Dish paths for recreation.”
One possibility is to widen firebreaks in the hills to reduce the chances of future fires getting out of control.
There are four miles of hiking paths in the Dish area used by thousands of people each month.
So what caused the fire? “Human activity” doesn’t tell us much. Was it a carelessly tossed cigarette? Arson? Whoever caused it should be penalized harshly. Their boneheaded move is preventing the rest of us from using the area.