A red-tailed hawk that became entangled in power lines sparked a six- to eight-acre wildfire yesterday atop Big Rock Ridge in upper Lucas Valley, authorities said.
The fire, reported at 1:15 p.m., started after the bird flew into power lines near a fire road at the crest of the ridge. No injuries were reported and no structures were threatened, fire officials said.
Forty firefighters from Marin County, Novato, San Rafael, Marinwood and the Skywalker Fire Brigade battled the wind-fueled fire with seven fire engines, two water-tenders, a bulldozer and two hand crews, Marin County Fire Battalion Chief Ed Mestre said. The fire was declared under control about 3 p.m.
Four air tankers and one helicopter from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection doused the blaze with water and fire retardant. Officials from the county Open Space District also assisted, opening the gates to allow fire crews access to fire roads that lead to the top of the ridge.
Hot, dry wind and power lines in the area posed the biggest threat, Mestre said.
"We've had heat the last few days," he said. "With the afternoon westerly winds, we decided to put a lot of resources on it."
Marin County Fire Chief Ken Massucco credited the large crew of fire personnel for knocking down the blaze before it could spread farther.
"I think the fire went very, very well," he said. "This was just a great coordinated effort."
At one point, firefighters from the Novato Fire Protection District positioned themselves on the north side of the ridge in case the fire spread to Fairway Drive in the Novato Country Club neighborhood, but the fire was contained to the grassy hilltops flanked by the Lucas Valley Preserve.
The fire sent billows of smoke in all directions and could be seen for miles. Along Lucas Valley Road, curious motorists pulled off the roadway to watch as equipment, fire crews and air support worked to contain the blaze.
Crews discovered the cause about 40 minutes after the blaze was contained when they found the carcass of the bird at the fire's origin.
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Monday, September 6, 2010
