OAKHURST — Many driving through Oakhurst this afternoon wondered about the column of white smoke rising from just below Matthews Fine Furniture on Highway 41.
At 12:37 p.m. a full dispatch was ordered to the “River Fire,” burning in vegetation near several homes in the area of River Falls Road and Lilac Lane.4 Calfire engines, 2 Madera County engines, 1 Madera County water tender, USFS Batterson engine #13, and 1 Mount Bullion crew had the blaze under control by 1:45 p.m. Other resources were dispatched, but were called off as crews on the ground were sufficient to handle the situation.
The fire consumed less than an acre, and was burning on both sides of a driveway between homes, in mostly dry grass and a few dead logs. The area looked to have been maintained for defensible space, and the lack of highly combustible fuels probably helped the firefighters in their efforts, and protected the nearby homes from what could have been much worse.
No structures were threatened and no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.