Firefighters with the Douglas Forest Protective Association dealt with 2 fires between Saturday and Sunday.
Kyle Reed said staff from DFPA and Douglas County Fire District No. 2 responded to a natural cover fire Saturday afternoon located about 4 miles northeast of Winston, near the 3,000 block of Mistletoe Hill Lane. Reed said crews arrived on the scene at about 1:00 p.m. and found a grass fire burning with powerlines down in the area. Firefighters stopped the forward spread of the fire but couldn’t mop up hot spots until Pacific Power arrived on the scene to de-energize the downed lines.
The Mistletoe Hill Lane Fire burned ½ acre of grass and brush. An investigation determined that the fire was caused by a tree that went through the powerlines.
On Sunday evening, firefighters from DFPA and Oakland Rural Fire Department responded to a natural cover fire near the 1,000 block of Oak Street, in Oakland. They arrived on the scene at around 5:20 p.m. and attacked the blaze, which burned ½ acre of grass and brush before the forward spread of the fire was stopped. A preliminary investigation indicated that the fire was caused by an individual cutting and grinding metal, outside of the allowed timeframe set under DFPA’s Public Use Restrictions.
Reed said people found to be in violation of those restrictions can be fined up to $440. In addition, individuals are also financially liable for the fire suppression costs and associated damages if their violation results in the start of a wildfire.