Photo: Elias Funez
A handful of local fires have kept firefighters busy over the past 48 hours, including a fully involved structure fire off Brady Road, a vegetation fire at Cherry Creek Road and Highway 49, and a vehicle fire at Purdon Crossing that threatened the historic 1889 bridge.
CHALK BLUFF FIRE
Ophir Hill Fire responded around 8:15 p.m. Thursday to a residential structure fire along the 13000 block of Brady Road in the Chalk Bluff area of Nevada County.
Upon arrival the two-story house was fully involved with minimal extension into the vegetation, authorities reported.
Grass Valley air attack 230 and Redding air tanker 94, which were working the nearby wildfires in Plumas and Butte counties, provided aerial support, with tanker 94 laying retardant around the structure to minimize further threat to wildland.
As the country approaches the Fourth of July many residents will enjoy the summer holiday with barbecues, fireworks or water recreation. However, the fun requires a certain amount of moderation, officials say.
Grass Valley City Manager Tim Kiser said fireworks are not permitted for individual use. He recommends the professionally produced fireworks display sponsored by the city of Grass Valley at 9:30 p.m July 4 that can be viewed from Highway 49 at the Dorsey Drive overpass.
Josephine Hodges, records coordinator for the Nevada City Police Department, said fireworks use by individuals is also illegal in the town.
In addition, Chief Jim Turner of Nevada County Consolidated Fire, said no individuals may use fireworks in the unincorporated county. It’s also illegal to possess or transport fireworks by any individual.
A man died early Wednesday after his trailer caught fire in Nevada City, authorities say.
Firefighters responded to a report of a blaze around 1:20 a.m. on the 700 block of West Broad Street. Five fire engines, with units from the Grass Valley/Nevada City Fire Department as well as assistance from a couple of neighboring departments, were at the scene and put out the fire within a short amount of time, according to Grass Valley/Nevada Division Chief Sam Goodspeed.
The trailer suffered extensive damage, and the fire had briefly spread to a patch of vegetation in the surrounding wildland area, but it was contained before there was any serious threat to other structures, Goodspeed said.
FROM A RELEASE:
At approximately 1:22 a.m. on Wednesday May 19, 2021, the Grass Valley/Nevada City Fire Department along with Nevada County Consolidated Fire and Cal Fire responded to a residential structure fire/trailer fire in the 700 block of West Broad Street in Nevada City. Upon arrival personnel found a travel trailer that was 50% involved with fire and a threat to the wildland as an immediate exposure. Personnel were able to control the fire and keep it from extending to the wildland.
During suppression efforts personnel were advised that the inhabitant was most likely still within the structure. Once the fire was extinguished and personnel were able to gain entry and locate the victim. It was determined that the resident had succumbed to the fire and was declared deceased at the scene.