Fighting Fire With Fire

Tuolumne County, CA – If you see smoke near Jamestown and Groveland this coming week, don’t be alarmed, it just a drill to fight fire with fire. Cal Fire will be doing a live fire, three day training starting Tuesday, June 25th at 10am and ending by 5pm on Thursday, June 28th.

Fire line supervisors from around the state will be learning the complex fire suppression operations to use in wildfires. One of those tactics is to fight fire with fire. Cal Fire says students will learn the proper techniques to ignite and control fire that is lit outside the perimeter of an approaching wildfire. They say this can be done to starve the flames of vegetation and help suppress the fire.

The training will take place at Kistler Ranch west of Jamestown on the north side of Highway 108/120 and Crook Ranch in Groveland. Motorists will see smoke, so drive with caution in those areas.

Cal Fire says nearly 100 acres of grass and oak understory will be burned. They say both areas were picked to help get rid of a large amount Medaushead weeds in those areas. Five fire engines, two fire crews, and one bulldozer will be used in the training.