News: Mariposa fire burns 33 acres

Monday, July 23, 2007

News: Mariposa fire burns 33 acres

mercedsunstar.com :: Mariposa fire burns 33 acres:

By DOANE YAWGER

MARIPOSA — Thirty-three acres of oak woodland, brush and grass were blackened Saturday in a fire believed to have been started by a pickup towing a boat — and dragging a chain on the road.

Cal-Fire Unit Chief Mikel Martin said the fire was located south of the town of Mariposa near Highway 49 and Allred Road. It was reported at 11:20 a.m. Saturday.

While the fire remains under investigation, Martin said the truck-boat trailer combination is believed to have started four separate fires, either dragging a chain or just creating sparks near dry vegetation.

Twenty engines, two helicopters and 127 firefighters fought the fire. The fire initially threatened homes in the area but no evacuations were necessary before it was controlled and only one outbuilding was burned.

Sixty to 70 cattle nearly escaped onto Highway 49 when the fire burned the fence holding them in. California Highway Patrol officers kept the cattle off the road.

Highway 49 was closed between Silva and Allred roads for about six hours. Fire investigators and highway patrolmen couldn't find the vehicle believed responsible for starting the fire.

Two air tankers and a National Park Service helicopter were deployed to fight the fire. The Mariposa County Sheriff's Department also assisted. One volunteer Mariposa County firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.

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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

Monday, July 23, 2007