OAKHURST – Cal Fire has detained an unidentified individual for questioning in connection with a series of fires in the Bass Lake area today.
Just before 3 p.m., firefighters responded to reports of a vegetation fire on Road 222 between the Mountain House and Bass Lake. Witnesses didn’t see the fire start, but report that several people were stopping and trying to put it out.
About 30 minutes later, resources were diverted to a vegetation fire along Road 222 near Miller’s Landing on the south shore of Bass Lake. That fire was quickly contained and crews were still doing mop-up when reports came in of two fires near the Cal Fire Station on Road 223 near the Road 426 turnoff to Bass Lake.
As firefighters first on scene knocked down those two fires, other first responders staged in the area or patrolled the roads to search for other starts or suspicious activity.
Information is not available as to when or where the individual being question was contacted, but Road 420 had a lot of law enforcement activity early this evening, right where the pavement ends, with one witness reporting that she was told she could drive through, but couldn’t stop.
We will update as more information becomes available.
