New Details On New Year’s Eve House Fire

Mi-Wuk Village, CA — Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District officials say ashes from a wood stove sparked the blaze.

As previously reported, a neighbor heard an alarm and then spotted smoke pouring out of the garage of a home on the 24000 block of Lama Hisum Road near Aselu Court in Mi Wuk Village around 12:30 p.m. When firefighters arrived on scene, they discovered flames shooting out of a stack of firewood in the garage. Nearby was some trash, including ashes from a wood stove, which a resident of the house had left before leaving the home, according to Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District Fire Chief Larry Crabtree. He explains, “As the ashes and embers from the fireplace weren’t completely out…they smoldered and got hot, finally starting the fire.”

Firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading to the rest of the unoccupied two-story home. Most of the damage was contained to the garage. However, firefighters had to breakdown several doors to check out the house, which had plenty of smoke damage, according to Chief Crabtree, who indicates the cost to be about $15,000.

The flames were contained in 20 minutes with the help of several resources on scene including Cal Fire, Twain Harte Fire & Rescue Department, Tuolumne Fire District, and Tuolumne County Fire Department.