Firefighters in Merced County, across state keep busy

Fire consumed two boats and about a quarter-acre of brush Sunday in Atwater, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Merced County.

A dozen firefighters managed to stop the flames from spreading to two homes around 11 a.m. in the area of Ladino Avenue and Franklin Road in Atwater, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jeremy Rahn said.

Nobody was injured. A damage estimate was not available and the cause of the fire remained under investigation Sunday.

“We urge people to use caution, especially when doing yardwork or any work outside involving grass or brush,” Rahn said. “These extremely dry drought conditions are creating (fuels) and we really encourage people to do that type of work in the morning, preferably before 10 a.m.”

The small fire was one of dozens keeping firefighters around the state busy over the weekend.

Heavy smoke from fire Friday night near Santa Nella backed up traffic for several hours. Flames consumed about 1,450 acres of brush near Highway 140 and San Luis Creek, Cal Fire officials said.

Rahn also confirmed numerous firefighters from Merced, Atwater and Los Banos are helping to battle the Willow fire in Madera County. The number of Merced County firefighters assisting in the effort could not be confirmed Sunday, but Cal Fire officials said more than 2,000 firefighters were battling the flames.

As of Sunday morning, the fire, allegedly started by a teen using a lighter to burn pine branches, had grown to 5,656 acres. More than 2,000 firefighters have the blaze 60 percent contained, and firefighting costs swelled from $8.2 million on Friday to $10.5 million Saturday, Cal Fire said.

Although 450 structures are threatened, none have been damaged.

Six firefighters suffered injuries during the battle: four from dehydration and two from minor burns, Cal Fire said.

More than 1 million gallons of water – much of it from Bass Lake – has been used to fight the flames. Crews have also used more than 600,000 gallons of fire retardant during the battle.

Containment is expected to climb to more than 90 percent by the end of this week.

Cal Fire officials said 21 large fires continued to burn Sunday across the state with more than 8,500 firefighters battling the flames.

“Since Thursday night thousands of lightning strikes have occurred, sparking several hundred small wildfires,” officials said in a news release.

Engine Capt. David Ruhl of South Dakota was killed battling a fast-moving blaze that broke out Thursday in the Modoc National Forest about 100 miles south of Oregon. His body was recovered Friday.

This story was originally published August 2, 2015 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Firefighters in Merced County, across state keep busy."