Aggressive Attacks Help Fight Against Airola Fire In Calaveras County
CALAVERAS COUNTY (CBS13) — The Airola Fire burned around a thousand acres in Calaveras County Wednesday with no containment.
Mandatory evacuations were in place in several areas, including Parrotts Valley Road south of Highway 4.
Aggressive air attacks were a huge tool in this fight. The Columbia Air Attack Base is located two miles away from the fire.
Early on, the flames spread hundreds of acres fast.
"It is moving fast because it started way over there and it's going up towards Avery and Arnold up on that hill," said Dan Lindsey.
Lindsey is hoping the flames don't move south toward Jamestown. A lot of the firefighting action has been focused low down in a valley. The flames are surrounded by rock and steep terrain.
"Really rough, you get over that hill over there where the fire is burning, it's all granite so I don't how they're going to get any dozers in there," Lindsey said.
Mandatory evacuations forced neighbors from their homes. Tom Quincy had to leave his home near Parrotts Ferry Road.
"It was burning our direction a little bit but it looked like they were hitting it really hard and it seemed like it was getting better," he said.
This is the first time his family has had to evacuate, but they were prepared to take what's most important.
"We've kind of thought about it before. Our trust, my guitar, the dog and my wife," Quincy said.