CA-TCU-Italian - Vegetation Fire

CA-TCU-Italian Bar area/Yankee hill 40 acres - Fire Burning along Italian Bar road.
Fire threatens homes near historic Columbia, 25 homes Evacuated .
Evacuations along Yankee Hill Road and Cattle Drive Trail.
Update: 50 acres. All of fire is on BLM land , It is now listed as five percent contained with full containment expected by noon today.

LOC: Section 6 NW west corner along Italian Bar road

Comms: Com: COM 1 Tone 3 151.175 Local: TAC 2
Resources: H-206 T-86, Strike Team 4200c code 3 from SJ Valley for structure
protection. 7 engines, four dozers, eight hand crews, three water tenders, Air Attack and Helicopter 404 from the Columbia Air Base
ST 9172 c Staging in Columbia State Park / highway 49
Delta Camp crew 2, 4 (part of 9144g) entering unit
BLM 3158
News: Report from MyMotherLode.com:
Thursday, August 23, 2007 - 09:20 AM

Sonora, CA -- According to Lt. Dan Bressler of the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department, voluntary evacuations of 25 homes in the Yankee Hill-Boye Mine Rd. area are being conducted.

Yankee Hill Rd. and Orion Mine Rd. are closed in addition to Big Hill Rd. at Five Mile Creek Rd.

The fire, near Columbia, has covered approximately 30-35 acres. It is now listed as five percent contained with full containment expected by noon today.

Ground crews are working in conjunction with 17 engines, four dozers, eight hand crews, three water tenders, Air Attack and Helicopter 404 from the Columbia Air Base.

Cause of the fire; Mexican nationals harvesting an illegal marijuana garden. The fire was started by either a cigarette or a campfire. Tuolumne County has now spent $1.5 million in suppressing marijuana garden fires this year according to CAL FIRE's Barbara George.