A brush fire in Sutter Creek Saturday had local fire crews working for several hours in the afternoon heat. The fire was started around 2 pm at a residence on Sutter Volcano Road by a riding lawnmower tractor. Although no structures were involved, the fire did burn to within 50 yards of several homes. “I was a little worried, but then the chopper dropped off two ground crews in my backyard and I felt better,” said John Merlo, who lives off of Sutter-Volcano Road. The fire-fighting effort included crews from CalFire, Sutter Creek, and Jackson.

Two helicopters responded early and worked for several hours retrieving water from Icehouse Pond on Amador Road. In addition, an airtanker, a spotter plane, a bulldozer, and several engines worked in conjunction to extinguish the blaze. According to Sutter Creek Fire Chief Butch Martin, the fire burned just under 7 acres, and the area burned was located entirely within the city limits. “If the winds had been blazing down canyon instead of up, we would have been in trouble,” Martin said. “Ironically, this was caused by someone who was trying to do fire abatement, but at the wrong time. It is not a good idea to cut dry grass in the afternoon heat, but if you do, use a weed eater and nothing else,” he concluded.