- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Containment doubles on Peterson fire
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Firefighters on Monday pushed the Peterson fire near Kelseyville much closer to full containment.
Cal Fire reported that the fire, burning since Saturday evening off of Peterson Lane, was holding at 215 acres on Monday evening, with containment doubling to 60 percent during the course of the day.
With the Peterson fire no longer threatening structures and containment rising, firefighters have begun the mop up phase of the incident, while also continuing to increase the containment lines, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire Capt. Sean Jerry of Glen Ellen was on the scene of the fire on Monday afternoon, one of the command personnel overseeing that mop up and continued containment work.
With fires continuing to pop up around Northern California, firefighters like Jerry have been working long assignments.
Over the past month he's worked on the Jerusalem fire northeast of Middletown and the Wragg fire near Lake Berryessa.
“Everything is beyond dry,” which is contributing to the nonstop fire season, said Jerry.
Cal Fire said that by Monday the majority of air resources had been released from Peterson fire, with just one helicopter still assigned.
Jerry said the helicopter on Monday wasn't being used for water drops, which had ended the previous day.
Instead, he said the helicopter was used to fly over the fire area to check the size, finding no growth and no smoke.
“We're looking better and better,” Jerry said.
A firefighter who walked the fire perimeter arrived early in the afternoon to tell Jerry that he also had not found any smoke on the fire.
Resources on the Peterson fire on Monday were reduced significantly, particularly regarding personnel, the number of which Cal Fire said dropped to 252, from close to 1,000 on Sunday.
Other resources committed going into Monday evening included 20 engines, 15 overhead personnel, 10 fire crews, four bulldozers, and two water tenders, Cal Fire said.
Cal Fire said the fire's cause remains under investigation.
Jerry said some of the firefighters and engines that had been working the Peterson fire had been redirected to the Grade fire, which was reported shortly after noon on Jerusalem Grade and Canyon roads near Lower Lake.
That fire had burned an estimated 25 acres and was 50-percent contained by Monday evening.
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