Thursday, August 28, 2008

Containment nears; investigator finds

By EMILIE RAGUSO
eraguso@modbee.com

last updated: June 25, 2008 12:46:02 PM

GRAYSON — A suspicious fire that started Tuesday afternoon left about 800 acres of grassland west of the San Joaquin River charred and smoldering, authorities said.

The fire jumped the river in the late afternoon, requiring local firefighters to attack flames that burned an additional 100 acres east of the river.

It started about 3 p.m. in the San Joaquin National Wildlife Refuge, east of River Road and north of Grayson, said Stanislaus County sheriff's spokesman Royjindar Singh.

It crackled through tall brush and grassland, leaving wide swaths of land covered in thick black ash. The fire engulfed trees, their dry leaves bursting into flames.

"Our main concern is if the fire were to burn to the west," said Division Chief Steve Hall of the Patterson Fire District. "We have Grayson southwest of here."

By 10 p.m., Hall said, the fire was about 95 percent contained and crews expected to have it surrounded by midnight.

On another front Tuesday evening, 177 firefighters, two helicopters and three air tankers were battling a blaze that burned about 605 acres of vegetation in the Stanislaus National Forest, east of Groveland and near the northwest part of Yosemite National Park.

According to U.S. Forest Service officials, the blaze started Saturday when lightning strikes sparked small fires that have grown into what is being called the North Mountain fire.

Little expansion

Forest officials said there was little movement in the fire Monday night, and 5 percent of the blaze, on the north side of the Tuolumne River Canyon near North Mountain, had been contained as of Tuesday evening. There was no estimate on when containment will be achieved.

In the wildlife refuge fire near Grayson, a technique called backburning was used to control it, Hall said.

"We can't stop it. There's too much fire in the trees. So we let it burn to an area that has less fuel. Then we set our own fire. The main fire sucks ours in, and that eliminates the fuel. It stops the momentum."

Small animals ran from the flames. Fire Chief Mike Lara, of the Westley Fire District, saw a 15-pound bobcat dart from a fire near the river.

"I was walking in, and he was running out," Lara said. "I've seen a lot of coyotes down here, but not usually bobcats."

Rabbits dashed across dirt roads to escape the flames. Hall said the rabbits can be firefighters' "worst enemies" when they catch fire. They bound across the roads that rescue workers rely on to stop the flames, spreading embers to vulnerable areas.

The fire burned slowly but persistently through light grasses, dead logs and dry trees. The roof of an old barn collapsed about 5 p.m. when flames devoured the wooden building. No other structures were believed to be threatened, authorities said.

Firefighters from Patterson, Westley, El Solyo, Newman, Mountain View, Ceres, Turlock Rural and the Fish and Wildlife Service worked throughout the afternoon and into the night to contain the fire.

Team effort in rugged area

The Stanislaus forest fire was being fought by federal, state, county and local agencies.

Ground crews constructing fire breaks were facing steep, rugged terrain, long travel distances, and spotty cell phone and radio coverage.

No evacuations were ordered, but contingency plans were in place.

No roads were closed, but the Preston Falls Trail was closed Tuesday.

Investigator's suspicions

Of the blaze in the wildlife refuge area, Modesto fire investigator Ron Keyes said it appeared to have been set in at least four places. He said he hadn't found evidence of fire-starting materials, but said the blaze appeared suspicious because of the multiple ignition points.

The area's geography posed challenges to firefighters, Singh said. A few narrow roads offered limited access to emergency workers who tried to keep an eye on the ever-shifting boundaries of the blaze.

Hall said Tuesday evening that firefighters were waiting for the fire to burn itself out.

"What we have here is vegetation and river bottom," Hall said. "Basically, we look at the threat. The wind's blowing out of the northwest. We need to make sure everything downwind of that is protected."

Bee staff writer Rosalio Ahumada contributed to this report.

Bee staff writer Emilie Raguso can be reached at eraguso@modbee.com or 578-2235.

• Comments
• Add Comment
• Disclaimer