- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Monday afternoon fires contained in Lower Lake; fire in Nice damages garage
The Horse incident was first dispatched at around 2 p.m. Monday in a field across from 16725 Bryant Road, based on reports from Lake County Central Dispatch.
Cal Fire, Lake County Fire and the US Forest Service sent units to the incident. Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta said a total of about 15 fire units were on scene.
The fire put up a large column of smoke, leading to numerous 911 calls, according to radio reports.
Due to the fire moving toward nearby homes, the call was put out for an immediate need strike team of engines from other local fire districts to protect structures.
Cal Fire air attack responded, as did tankers from Sonoma and Mendocino counties and Copter 104 from the Boggs Mountain Helitack base, according to reports from the scene.
Air attack reported that the north end of the fire bumped up against the creek, which helped contain it.
Just before 2:30 p.m., Cal Fire reported over the air that the forward progress on the fire had been stopped. Shortly afterward, tankers and other units began to be released, while a bulldozer was directed to continue in.
The fire was reported to be contained just before 3 p.m., according to scanner reports.
Shortly after 3 p.m., Sapeta told Lake County News that mop up and overhaul was under way at the scene, with that work expected to take at least a few hours.
He said there were no structures lost, and no injuries.
The fire’s cause is under investigation, Sapeta said.
At about 3:20 p.m., several Cal Fire and Lake County Fire units were released from the Horse incident to respond to the report of another grass fire, this time in the area of 17975 Morgan Valley Road. Cal Fire Copter 104 also responded to look for that fire.
When firefighters arrived in the area at about 3:30 p.m., they found a small spot fire that had been extinguished by locals, according to scene reports.
In other county fire news, on Monday morning Northshore Fire – assisted by Cal Fire and Lakeport Fire – responded to a structure fire in the 4100 block of E. Highway 20 at Burpee Drive in Nice.
Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said the fire was located in the home’s garage, and was started by a leaking propane line to a gas clothing dryer.
He said a woman was using the dyer and when she pushed the button to turn the appliance on, the fire erupted.
Beristianos said that the woman not only escaped injury, but then immediately ran outside to turn the gas off at the tank.
“She did all the right things,” he said. “She probably saved her house by doing that.”
As a result of the woman’s quick action, Beristianos said there was only mild damage – he estimated about $2,000 worth – to the home’s garage, with firefighters able to quickly put out the fire.
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