Fires in El Cerrito, San Rafael ship smoke to San Francisco

Nov. 2, 2023Updated: Nov. 2, 2023 9 p.m.
Fires in El Cerrito and San Rafael sent smoky air into San Francisco on Thursday.
St Lowitsch/Getty Images
Two Bay Area fires pushed smoke into San Francisco on Thursday afternoon.
The first fire was a prescribed burn in San Rafael’s China Camp State Park scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the Marin Fire Department. “Neighborhoods surrounding China Camp State Park may see and smell smoke due to a prescribed fire operation,” the department said.
In El Cerrito, firefighters battled a downhill blaze moving toward Julian Drive near the intersection of Douglas Drive and Potrero Avenue, according to a post by police shortly after 2:30 p.m. At 3:11 p.m., police said, the fire had been extinguished and advised the public to avoid the area while firefighters continued cleanup operations.
Potrero Avenue between Navellier Street and Julian Drive remained closed during cleanup operations.
Reach Jordan Parker: jordan.parker@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @jparkerwrites
Jordan Parker is a breaking news reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. He graduated from Sacramento State University in May 2022 with a degree in journalism. During his time there, he spent three years as a reporter and editor for the university’s award-winning student newspaper, The State Hornet. He spent his senior year of college serving as The Hornet’s first Black editor in chief, leading the organization to two Pacemaker awards and several other national honors from the Associated Collegiate Press. When he’s not chasing down a story, he likes watching movies, traveling and trying new restaurants.