Grass Fire Cuts Power to 1,100: Blaze Starts Behind 49er Fun Park
By Doug Mattson - Thursday, August 17, 2000
Troy Frederick of Gold-n-Green Equipment Rentals and John Brown of Hilltop Landscape Co. battle a fire Wednesday on Railroad Avenue above 49er Fun Park and Gold-n-Green Equipment Rentals. (Photo by John Hart)
An electrical power surge was to blame for a fire Wednesday that damaged a power pole, left 1,100 electricity customers without power, and burned an acre of vegetation behind the 49er Family Fun Park, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
CDF Capt. Specialist Clyde Gamma said the surge caused the pole's top wooden cross arm to catch fire, and an ember likely fell and spread to the vegetation. The fire was reported at 2:20 p.m. and spotted from the Wolf Mountain Lookout.
A person was spotted leaving the scene just as firefighters arrived, but the blaze wasn't considered suspicious, Gamma said.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spokesman Skip Hescock said the fire halted electrical service to customers along Bennett Street and Highway 174 for about an hour, and about 25 customers were without power for four hours, until about 6 p.m.
The Fun Park was without power for four hours, said its owner, Jim Myers, who was holding parties at the time.
Without electricity to run his arcade and batting cages, some customers resorted to playing miniature golf, Myers said.
PG&E workers replaced two insulators and a cross arm, Gamma said.
Crews from the Grass Valley Fire Department, Nevada County Consolidated and Ophir Hill fire protection districts responded.
Workers from Gold-n-Green Equipment Rentals on Railroad Avenue drove in with tractors and dumped dirt on some flames early on, Gamma said.
Both Gamma and Myers said they didn't know who owned the land.
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