Category Archives: safety

Fire, Fish, safety, Wildlife

Crews contain Foresthill Bridge fire that threatened homes

Fire crews from multiple agencies fully contained the four-acre fire that threatened structures on the Auburn side of the Foresthill Bridge at 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, said Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire public information officer.

“This whole canyon, once it gets racing in a canyon like this, it could take several days to stop it,” Berlant said. “Fortunately where we stopped it was right below these homes. It was a real good save.”

The fire that started just before 2 p.m. originated at the bottom of the American River Canyon and crawled up the hillside toward Auburn, headed for a neighborhood with dozens of homes, but crews were able to halt its progress and no evacuations had been ordered, Berlant said.

Of those in the neighborhood, only two buildings were immediately threatened by the fire, he said.

One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion, Berlant said.

More than a dozen fire engines, a couple water tenders, three hand crews, two air tankers, a helicopter and a bulldozer had been dispatched to battle the blaze, Berlant said. Cal Fire, Placer County Fire, Auburn City Fire, Newcastle Fire, Placer Hills Fire and the U.S. Forest Service all responded to the scene.

“This is an incredibly steep hillside, so trying to get our firefighters down there to actually … build a containment line is very difficult,” he said. “That’s why we do so much work in here to actually clear it up.”

The blaze spread under the bridge, burning either side of the Auburn slope. The cause of the vegetation fire is under investigation.

“If we hadn’t been able to jump on it quickly this fire had a lot of potential to make its way all the way up the hillside to Auburn,” Berlant said. “Fortunately our station is less than a mile away, Auburn City Fire is less than a mile away, and we were able to bring engines out of Foresthill, so a lot of different agencies were able to get there quickly and that helped us, obviously.”

A spot fire broke out away from the main area of the blaze, but a U.S. Forest Service helicopter quickly attacked it and stopped it from spreading, Berlant said.

Work to reduce fuels on either side of the canyon had been performed recently, and this fire emphasizes to homeowners there how important it is to create defensible space, because a blaze naturally is going to spread up the hillside, he said.

“It’s a beautiful view, right? But they’ve got to make sure they’ve got the clearance, because the fire is going to race right up,” Berlant said. “And if you’ve got good clearance around it, it helps us stop the fire.”

The area near the bridge is a “hot spot” for fires, and a blaze two or three years ago burned 30 acres on the Foresthill side, Berlant said.

Foresthill Road traffic was stopped on either side of the bridge, and was expected to resume around 5:30 p.m. Traffic was also significantly backed up on Highway 49 near the confluence, Berlant said.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Body Found in River May be Missing Swimmer

Rescue crews believe they have found the body of a man who drowned Sunday.

The body was found in the American River behind Cal Expo Thursday morning. Sacramento Firefighters responded and say the preliminary description matches that of a man in his 20s who went missing Sunday while swimming with friends.

Crews spent Sunday afternoon looking for the unidentified man, but had to call off the search.

More at Fox40.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety

Metro Fire crew comes to aid of woman stuck on bluff above American River

A woman was rescued Thursday morning from a precarious perch 25 feet down the American River bluffs near Ravina Court in Fair Oaks.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews responded to the call about 10:30 a.m.

A firefighter rappelled down the bluff, secured the woman in a harness, then continued down 80 feet to the American River’s edge, according to a Metro Fire news release.

The woman, whose name was not released, was placed in a Metro Fire boat and taken to the south side of the river for medical attention.

More at ModBee.com >>>

 

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety, Video

Law Enforcement Gears Up For Fourth of July On River

 

Sacramento County Park Rangers and the Sacramento County Marine Unit cruised the lower American River today to get ready for a crowded July Fourth weekend.

Flows are nearly triple what they were a month ago and they want to prepare for swifter currents and hidden hazards that might affect rescues.  They also need to warn rafters and swimmers about danger areas.

The biggest concern is still illegal alcohol use on the river, which is banned on the four-day holiday. Alcohol can contribute to violent fights.

“With deadly weapons, cobbles, sticks, whatever they can get their hands on,” said Ranger Randy Lewis.

But there are more families on the river since the holiday alcohol ban took effect several years ago. Jose Vasquez makes sure his son Gabriel uses on at Discovery Park where he knows about the history of drownings.

More at Fox40.com >>>
safety, Water

Coroner identifies Roseville man as Lake Natoma drowning victim

A man whose body was recovered from Lake Natoma early Saturday has been identified by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office as 19-year-old Guillermo Fabian Contreras of Roseville.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews and members of the Drowning and Accident Rescue Team responded to the lake about 8:10 p.m. Friday. Capt. Bryan Thomson said a group of young men were at the lake when Contreras swam out to retrieve a ball in the channel.

He began having difficulties and another member of the group tried to come to his aid as he went under water, but was unable to rescue him.

The second man also began having trouble but was rescued.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Drowning reported in American River near Howe Avenue

A man drowned Sunday evening in the American River near Howe Avenue, the fourth case in the city of Sacramento this summer, officials said.

The Sacramento Fire Department received a call at 5:40 p.m. reporting a possible drowning, according to Battalion Chief Shawn Perry. Up to a dozen firefighters searched the river, while a helicopter scanned from above, Perry said.

After an hour, the fire department ended its search without finding the victim. Perry said crews would return when a sighting of the victim is reported.

“We’ve exhausted the survivability of the victim,” Perry said. He explained that the man could not have survived the frigid water past the time they searched.

Perry said the man had little swimming background and went into the river with a friend. The current pulled him in, and witnesses said they spotted the man one to two times about 100 feet offshore, according to Perry.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety, Water

American River bluff search ended; no victims found

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District has concluded that it could find no evidence that a person was injured or killed where a hillside collapsed along the American River bluffs east of the Fair Oaks Bridge.

At noon, Sac Metro fire officials said that “based on neither of the two human remains dogs finding anything” the department’s responders “have terminated command and concluded search operations.”

The agency had sent about 20 firefighters back to check the area Sunday morning after a half dozen people reported seeing a shirtless man in black short who was hiking in the area Saturday evening disappear.

He was walking on the north side of the American River when the hillside collapsed.

Based on those reports, Sac Metro Fire reported deploying about 60 people, using search dogs, boats and helicopers on Saturday night.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Rules are tricky for spearfishing in American River

If you want to try spearfishing in the American River, don’t start by purchasing a spear gun, or investigating where to dive for the biggest bass. Instead, you may want to call your attorney first.

New regulations approved by the California Fish and Game Commission in 2012 opened the American River to spearfishing for striped bass for the first time, and only downstream of Harrington Way, near Sacramento’s William Pond Recreation Area. The new rule took effect May 1 this year.

Trouble is, the commission didn’t consult Sacramento County, which manages the American River Parkway as part of the county parks system.

It classifies spears and spear guns as weapons, which are banned in the American River Parkway just like guns, and bows and arrows.

In other words, if you drive to the parkway, pull your spear gun out of the trunk and walk over to the river, a county park ranger or a state game warden could cite you for a misdemeanor and confiscate your weapon.

More at SacBee.com >>>
Bike Trail, safety, Water

Multiple Fire Agencies Searching For Man Following Ground Slide

Rescue crews are searching the waters of the American River after the ground slid underneath a man walking along the river Saturday night.

Fire crews from Sacramento Metro Fire, the Sacramento Fire Department, and the Folsom Fire Department are searching the waters for the man. The slide is reported to be about 20 to 30 feet wide and 5 to 6 feet deep.

Six witnesses reportedly saw the man fall into the water as a result of that slide.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>