Friday, 10 August 2007 01:35
Fire Forces Evacuation Up Country Yesterday
Things
started off a little wild last evening for emergency crews when several vehicle
collisions occurred within minutes of each other, including one that
closed a busy section of Hwy 88 for several hours and knocked out power to most
of the western portions of the county.
The first collision was reported at 6:13 pm when
a Dodge Durango, for an unknown reason left the roadway near Eggiman Lane. The
car hit a PG&E guide wire poll which caused the guide wire to drop,
dragging with it a high voltage line. That line, in turn, started a wild land fire
while the Durango came to rest on its roof top off of the roadway. Responding
emergency personnel were advised of the wires down safety hazard and Jackson
Fire and Cal Fire crews quickly extinguished the flames. The collision darkened the
evenings of around 3510 PG&E customers in the Ione and western Hwy 88
corridor, including Mule Creek State Prison. PG&E crews arrived on
scene around 7:00 pm to begin de-energizing the lines and the process of
repairs, which they estimated would take about 2 and one half hours to
complete. The road reopened around 8pm. The next collision was heard only on
Hwy 88 at Rocky Lane around 6:28 pm and was not located by responding emergency
personnel. The third accident occurred on Old Sacramento Hwy, across from Lower
Jackson Valley Rd in the Ione area around 6:40 pm. It was a non injury accident
described as a white foreign car into a fence.