Dorrington Fire Burns Home

Arnold, CA – In between vegetation fires springing up around the Mother Lode and a major blaze wreaking havoc in Mariposa County, flames ravaged a Dorrington home earlier today.

The fire broke out around 4 a.m. according to Ebbetts Pass Fire District Chief Mike Johnson and engulfed the single-family dwelling, located along Iroquois Drive. A single occupant escaped, unscathed, he reports, adding that suppression efforts continued into the 10 a.m. hour. Due to the nature of the call mutual aid responders provided a good deal of assistance.

Grateful for and crediting the system with helping fire agencies cover each other – especially during such a challenging fire season — he notes that yesterday his district was among those provided support on Monday’s Maria Fire near Mokelumne Hill.

Chief Johnson credits defensible space created by the property owner for 30 feet around the structure — down to bare mineral soil — with helping limit the spread and keep it from becoming a ground fire that could have easily extended into other nearby structures and surrounding wildland.

This afternoon investigators are still working to pinpoint the cause of the dwelling fire, which the chief says seems to have emanated from the structure’s subfloor.