LOWER LAKE – An early morning fire Friday came close to Lower Lake's Ployez Winery, but firefighters contained the blaze before it did any damage.

Winemaker Gerald Ployez, who lives at the winery with wife, Shirley, said the power went off in his home early Friday and alarms were triggered.

When he went to turn off the alarms, he said he saw the fire out the window, and Shirley quickly called 911.

Capt. Redhawk Pallesen of Cal Fire said that the fire was reported at 1:07 a.m.

Cal fire sent three engines, one dozer, two hand crews of 17 firefighters each and one battalion chief, said Pallesen.

Also responding was South Lake County Fire Protection District, he added.

Gerald Ployez said at one point that the fire was only 50 feet from the winery building.

“That was pretty close,” he said.

However, he and his wife weren't forced to evacuate as firefighters got control of the fire.

Pallesen said that all told, the fire burned about three acres of land,

Firefighters were still at the winery cleaning up the fire site until about 4 a.m., Ployez said.

The cause of the fire, said Palleson, appeared to be a bird that flew into a power line.

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