Site search
sponsored by
News
ENLARGE
A firefighter sprays foam on a wildland fire started by a power line on lower Kingsbury grade Thursday afternoon. / Jim Grant / Tahoe Daily Tribune
A downed power line likely caused a small forest fire that broke out in a neighborhood off the west side of Kingsbury Grade just before noon on Thursday.
Upwards of 50 firefighters and two helicopters - repeatedly dropping 240-gallon buckets of water - had the approximately two-acre fire surrounded by 2 p.m., according to Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District Battalion Chief, Mark Novak.
"We've got a line around it right now, there's just a lot of mopping up to do," Novak said Thursday afternoon.
Upwards of 50 firefighters and two helicopters - repeatedly dropping 240-gallon buckets of water - had the approximately two-acre fire surrounded by 2 p.m., according to Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District Battalion Chief, Mark Novak.
"We've got a line around it right now, there's just a lot of mopping up to do," Novak said Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters were on the scene within 20 minutes of the first 911 call, according to Sheila Stanton, who called the emergency number at about 11:45 a.m.
Stanton initially thought a buzzing noise outside of her house was nearby neighbors, but upon further investigation, she realized a small fire was burning ground cover under power lines within 200 yards of her driveway.
She described the initial sight of the fire as similar to fireworks shooting up from the ground.
"I'm so glad I was home. Fire is our biggest fear up here," said Stanton as she surveyed a front yard full of large trees and covered by dry pine needles.
Stanton initially thought a buzzing noise outside of her house was nearby neighbors, but upon further investigation, she realized a small fire was burning ground cover under power lines within 200 yards of her driveway.
She described the initial sight of the fire as similar to fireworks shooting up from the ground.
"I'm so glad I was home. Fire is our biggest fear up here," said Stanton as she surveyed a front yard full of large trees and covered by dry pine needles.
Although voluntary evacuation orders were issued to residents of surrounding homes, many residents anxiously watched the fire, waiting for a mandatory evacuation order that was never needed.
"I'm glad they jumped right on it," said Neal Pierce, a neighborhood resident who observed the fire from his driveway on Thursday. "Fortunately it's not a windy day."
Sierra Pacific Power Company workers were on hand soon after firefighters, checking the power lines running through the Kingsbury neighborhood and investigating the cause of the fire.
"A wire did come down; it's just hard to say how," said Milan Dohnaski, a troubleman for Sierra Pacific, at the scene.
"I'm glad they jumped right on it," said Neal Pierce, a neighborhood resident who observed the fire from his driveway on Thursday. "Fortunately it's not a windy day."
Sierra Pacific Power Company workers were on hand soon after firefighters, checking the power lines running through the Kingsbury neighborhood and investigating the cause of the fire.
"A wire did come down; it's just hard to say how," said Milan Dohnaski, a troubleman for Sierra Pacific, at the scene.
No power outages were reported due to the downed transmission line, which brings power into the Lake Tahoe Basin, according Faye Anderson, spokeswoman for Sierra Pacific.
Thursday was a busy start to what is expected to be a long fire season.
U.S. Forest Service Fire Management Officer Kit Bailey was called off the scene at Kingsbury at about 2 p.m. to coordinate efforts at a small fire burning near Kings Beach.
The Kings Beach fire was human-caused and burned less than a quarter of an acre of Forest Service land near Highway 267, according to Rex Norman, Forest Service spokesman.
Thursday was a busy start to what is expected to be a long fire season.
U.S. Forest Service Fire Management Officer Kit Bailey was called off the scene at Kingsbury at about 2 p.m. to coordinate efforts at a small fire burning near Kings Beach.
The Kings Beach fire was human-caused and burned less than a quarter of an acre of Forest Service land near Highway 267, according to Rex Norman, Forest Service spokesman.
