Two badly burned in cave fire along the bank of Tuolumne River in Modesto
A man and a woman suffered second- and third-degree burns Sunday afternoon when a fire ignited in a cave dug into a steep embankment along the Tuolumne River in south Modesto.
Deputy Fire Chief Darin Jesberg said the man and woman appeared to be in their 30s and the burns were on their faces, hands and arms. One also had burns to the backside, and Jesberg did not know whether that was the man or the woman.
He said they were taken by ambulance to a hospital.
An incident summary states the two were using gasoline to start a fire. Jesberg said it appears they were trying to start a camp stove. He said its appears the gas vapors built up in the cave’s confined space and ignited.
This is likely one of the caves The Bee wrote about in October 2022, Jesberg said. That story was about three caves dug along that area of the river near Crater Avenue. The Bee reported this stretch of riverbank, about a mile long, consists of silt that is easy to dig and maintains its structural integrity.
But the caves pose a risk to the people who stay in them and to the firefighters and others who respond in the event of a collapse or other emergencies.
Jesberg said this section of the riverbank has been a hot spot for homeless encampments, drug overdoses and fires over the years. He said because of its steep terrain and heavy vegetation, it is difficult to patrol and for nearby homeowners to observe.
“We respond to a lot of calls for service in that area,” he said.
But he said the city recently hired a contractor to clear the brush and other vegetation and remove dead trees, reducing the potential for more fires and making the riverbank more visible.
The Bee has reported these caves also present another challenge in the efforts of the many volunteers and the city to clean up the Tuolumne River and develop its potential as an outdoor recreation mecca.
