Two major Amador County fires resulted in a long weekend for local fire crews. Already working with thin budgets and staffed mostly by volunteers, fire departments across the county view the circumstances of this last weekend as signs of a difficult summer ahead. Residents throughout the county have praised CalFire and municipal fire departments for their swift and coordinated response. Their combined efforts successfully stopped the 400 acre Electra Fire and the 50 acre Sutter Creek Fire from spreading and burning nearby structures. “We applaud the combined efforts of the crews on the front line,” said Calfire Representative Tobie Edmonds Friday evening as he stood in the midst of the Electra Fire. The Electra Fire’s origin beneath 65,000 volt high tension lines effectively severed power to an estimated 13,000 Amador County residents scattered upcountry. A voluntary evacuation was implemented and fire crews worked through the night to extinguish the blaze by 11am on Saturday.
Within hours, another blaze was started 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. Elsewhere in Northern California, Firefighters managed to contain a series of wildfires on Sunday. In a streak of good luck, mild winds across the state helped in keeping the fires under control.
But next time they may not be so lucky. California firefighters from statewide and local agencies are prepared to ask for assistance or declarations of emergency should another catastrophic blaze occur on the level of the Tahoe Angora fire or last year’s burns in Southern California. Here in Amador County, proponents from the Amador Fire Protection Authority are expected to continue discussions with the Board of Supervisors today over the establishment of a half cent tax on retail transactions that would benefit fire infrastructure. Also, TSPN has just received a news release that all burn permits have been suspended in Amador and El Dorado Counties. Anyone with questions should contact their nearest fire facility.
Two major Amador County fires resulted in a long weekend for local fire crews. Already working with thin budgets and staffed mostly by volunteers, fire departments across the county view the circumstances of this last weekend as signs of a difficult summer ahead. Residents throughout the county have praised CalFire and municipal fire departments for their swift and coordinated response. Their combined efforts successfully stopped the 400 acre Electra Fire and the 50 acre Sutter Creek Fire from spreading and burning nearby structures. “We applaud the combined efforts of the crews on the front line,” said Calfire Representative Tobie Edmonds Friday evening as he stood in the midst of the Electra Fire. The Electra Fire’s origin beneath 65,000 volt high tension lines effectively severed power to an estimated 13,000 Amador County residents scattered upcountry. A voluntary evacuation was implemented and fire crews worked through the night to extinguish the blaze by 11am on Saturday.
Within hours, another blaze was started 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. Elsewhere in Northern California, Firefighters managed to contain a series of wildfires on Sunday. In a streak of good luck, mild winds across the state helped in keeping the fires under control. 
But next time they may not be so lucky. California firefighters from statewide and local agencies are prepared to ask for assistance or declarations of emergency should another catastrophic blaze occur on the level of the Tahoe Angora fire or last year’s burns in Southern California. Here in Amador County, proponents from the Amador Fire Protection Authority are expected to continue discussions with the Board of Supervisors today over the establishment of a half cent tax on retail transactions that would benefit fire infrastructure. Also, TSPN has just received a news release that all burn permits have been suspended in Amador and El Dorado Counties. Anyone with questions should contact their nearest fire facility.
