Fire! · Jun 18, 08:19 PM

It happens so fast, but it could have been worse.

The arc caused by two wires (from the main PG&E power line that runs through the property) caused sparks to ignite the dry grass in the field. The insulator somehow broke and the lines came together, making a horrible noise. The loose one then settled on the crossarm of the power pole and the sparking stopped. But the damage was done: sparks had gotten to the grass and it blazed away.

Fortunately there wasn’t much of a breeze and the fire continued to spread in a circle, out from the pole. The ranch road runs diagonally above the charred area in the picture and acted as a fire break. If there had been gusty winds it might have been a different story. Until help arrived, we tried to maintain that line by beating it with wet burlap feed sacks. A mowed swath along the gravel road eased this part of the job by limiting the fuel right along the road. If you have a fast connection, click on the image to view a really detailed one. The power pole in the center of the picture is where the fire started—note that it isn’t even damaged.

Our local volunteer fire department and California Department of Forestry responded and contained the fire in no time. They even dispatched a bulldozer that wasn’t needed (see detailed picture), thank goodness.

We sincerely thank the firefighters for their fast response and the neighbors who called to report smoke, even though they didn’t know exactly where it was. This time of the year don’t take a chance! If you smell smoke, report it.

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