NORTH FORK – Firefighters quickly contained a vegetation fire just off Road 223 this afternoon, stopping it before any structures were damaged.
At 5:18 p.m., the lookout at Shuteye reported a column of smoke in the Goat Mountain area. Though the fire was dispatched on Northridge Road, the exact location was called in by neighbors who live along Pine Oak, which provided the best access to the fire (see map below).
A resident across the road, who is retired from the Forest Service, was watching his grandkids play in the pool when he smelled smoke. Upon seeing the fire, he grabbed his hose, ran across the road to the property just east of the fire, hooked up to their water source and began wetting down the grass to keep the flames from spreading farther east.
Three Cal Fire engines rolled up moments later and the first unit at scene reported the fire at less than an acre. The incident commander told dispatch they could handle it with the resources already at scene, and all others were cancelled except a ground crew. Sierra National Forest and Sheriff’s personnel also responded.
The fire was burning just behind a home that sits on top of a rise, and to add to the inherent danger of firefighting, there were power lines reported in the burn area and PG&E was called out.
Firefighters had a line around the perimeter by 5:42 p.m., and it was controlled at .3 acres by 6 p.m. The incident commander estimated further commitment time of about two hours.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
(Editor’s note: Ice cream, Boys)
