By Alex Lane -

A wild grass fire whipped by strong winds ravaged a section of open fields and pockets of oak trees near Lake Pardee Thursday afternoon. A swift and strong response by local fire agencies and CDF aircraft quickly stopped the fire in its tracks before it was able to cause any serious damage. The head of the blaze was stopped near Stony Creek Road, leaving small fires burning in tree trunks and in small pockets of brush. The Amador Fire protection District, or AFPD, is responsible for approximately 85 percent of emergency fire, rescue, and medical aid service in the unincorporated areas of Amador County. The latest AFPD statistics for the month of September indicate a total of 111 incident responses. Of these, 62 medical aid and 16 vehicle accidents accounted for 70 percent of the total incidents. Only 5 of the incidents were fire related- 1 structure fires, 1 vehicle fire, 1 outside rubbish fire and 2 wildland fires. 54 percent of the total calls occurred between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm.