Auburn – On Saturday July 27, 2019 at approximately 2:45 PM, CAL FIRE air and ground resources along with Nevada County Sheriffs and several local fire departments responded to the 12000 block of Streeter Road in Nevada County for a report of a building column of smoke reported by the Mount Howell Fire Lookout Tower.
The aggressive initial attack by ground and air resources contained the fire to 5.38 acres. Fire suppression action included fixed wing air tankers making Multiple air drops and bucket drops being made by a responding helicopter.
The cause of the fire was determined to be the result of a subject using a gas weed-eater in dry grass for a hired land clearing operation without any means to control or extinguish a kindled fire. At the time the fire started the temperature was approximately 100 degrees with 3 to 5 miles per hour winds and humidity at or under 20% making this a very dangerous act.
The preliminary investigation by the CAL FIRE law enforcement officer at the scene also revealed the fire had burned onto the property of two adjacent parcels without the prior knowledge and consent of those property owners. No persons, livestock or homes were injured, damaged or destroyed as a result of the fire, however, the fire did pose a potential significant threat to public and environmental safety.