Amador Ledger Dispatch-Fanning the flames

Friday, May 18, 2007

Amador Ledger Dispatch-Fanning the flames

Amador Ledger Dispatch: "Fanning the flames"

Friday, May 18, 2007

By Raheem Hosseini - Bill Lavallie

A CAL FIRE helicopter douses a hot spot with a water bucket.

Photo by: Bill Lavallie

Two firefighters catch their breaths and rehydrate.

Photo by: Bill Lavallie

Fire personnel respond to one of the spot fires.

Photo by: Bill Lavallie

UPDATED

A faulty catalytic converter sparked a series of fires that stretched from Lake Pardee along Stony Creek Road into Jackson and back out to Hurricane Hill on Wednesday, and sent area fire crews scrambling to put out the many spot fires along the road.

A total of 10 fires were recorded by CAL FIRE, charring roughly seven acres of grass at a value of $1,400.

A couple turned into serious threats and bulldozers and helicopters were brought in to assist the fire crews. There were no reports of any structures involved at press time and CAL FIRE recorded no injuries.

Several fire investigators were brought in to investigate and Calaveras County Sheriff's deputies stopped a white 1997 Ford pickup truck that matched a witness description of the vehicle that may have started the fires due to a defective exhaust system.

After testing the truck and removing the catalytic converter for inspection, CAL FIRE prevention officials determined the sparks and hot debris originated from the converter.

It is believed the same vehicle caused the fires from Wednesday, May 16, along Paloma Road, Watertown Road and Highway 26, as well as the May 17 fires between Highway 26 and Howard Lane.

Prevention officials believe the Calaveras resident who owns the vehicle was unaware of his faulty converter and are not pursuing arson charges.

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Friday, May 18, 2007