Cal Fire helicopter dumps a load of water on a fire in Salmon Creek. (Photo by Rusty Rogers)

UPDATE 4:15 P.M.:  Salmon Cr. VFD joined Cal Fire planes and helicopters to take out what threatened to be a bad fire in the Salmon Creek watershed.  Dispatch received a call at 12:58 P.M. A 2009 Ford F150 pickup had caught fire near the top of Salmon Creek Rd. The driver managed to continue driving the smoking vehicle out of the trees and into the bare area of a driveway and the main road which helped keep the flames from spreading. Nonetheless, fire burnt the vehicle to a shell and spread quickly up a forested hill towards a home on one side and down into meadow area on the other. Local volunteer fireman arrived on the scene first and managed to dampen the fire until a plane dropping borade and a helicopter to dip water arrived on the scene. An inmate crew is currently working hard to mop up the scene.

Many of the VFD had just come from a long weekend working a booth at Reggae to raise money to buy needed equipment. Exhausted from that, they nonetheless threw themselves into the fight.  

This fire was in LoCO reporter Kym Kemp’s watershed. LoCO wishes to thank both the VFD and Cal Fire for their quick response.

Photos below: (Top by Julian King.  Bottom by Kym Kemp)

Crews fight fire in wooded area.

Crews finish putting out fire in the vehicle.

Cal Fire helicopter dumps water.

Smouldering area of hill where fire ran towards threatened home.

(Above Photos by Julian King.  Bottom by Kym Kemp)

Salmon Crew VFD clean up.

The driver of the vehicle was coincidentally a supporter of the Salmon Creek VFD.

Closeup of vehicle.

Shot of the vehicle as crews mop up.

Original post below——————————————————————————————-

Doug Bryan, public information officer for the Southern Humboldt Fire Chiefs Association, writes: 

Salmon Creek Fire and Cal Fire ground and air resources are responding to a vehicle fire that may be spreading into the wildland, in the area of Thomas Rd. and Elk Ridge Rd. Reported to be two miles above the school.