O’NEALS — What started as a response for a vegetation fire in O’Neals early this morning ended with an arrest for DUI.
Firefighters were called out just before 3 a.m. for reports of the “side of the mountain on fire” just east of the Spring Valley School in O’Neals on Road 200.
The first engine at scene reported about two acres burning on the north side of the road.
Cal Fire Engines 4255 and 4275 responded, along with 4280, 4284 and 4285, Madera County Fire Engines 8 and 17, Water Tender 16 and Dozer 4245.
A few minutes into their suppression efforts, firefighters located what was left of a 1999 Ford Ranger on the east end of the fire. CHP then received reports of a male walking beside the road some distance from the incident, waving his arms.
A passing motorist stopped to see if the man was okay, saw that he had a laceration over his right eye that was bleeding, and took him the half-mile back to the crash scene where firefighters evaluated his injuries.
Cody Shatka, 25, of Coarsegold, appeared dazed and confused, and said he couldn’t remember where he was going. He thought perhaps he had been in a crash, but wasn’t sure.
According to CHP, he was eastbound on Road 200 at an unknown rate of speed when he lost control of the pickup, veered across the westbound lane and crashed off the roadway into a field, rolling over and tearing up the barbed wire fence before hitting a tree, starting the vegetation on fire in the process.
Sierra Ambulance arrived and prepared the driver for transport, but not before he was administered a breathalyzer, determined to be under the influence and placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was released to the custody of the ambulance crew, who transported him to Clovis Community Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Meanwhile, firefighters had the fire contained by 3:30 p.m. at about three acres, and estimated full control by 5 a.m.
County Roads was called out to provide traffic control while crews continued their work and the burned-out Ford was retrieved by the tow truck.
The fire was called controlled at 6:32 a.m.
