Sacto 9-1-1

A firefighter suffered minor injuries Thursday night in a residential fire in Elk Grove that proved perilous for fire crews who discovered that roof supports had been compromised.

The Cosumnes Fire Department responded about 9:50 p.m. to a house at 8949 Adobe Valley Court. The house had been recently renovated and was vacant, awaiting the move-in of new residents, according to a Fire District news release.

Neighbors noticed a smell of smoke and, upon investigating, saw smoking coming from attic vents of the house.

The Cosumnes Fire Department reports that a brush and grass fire along southbound Highway 99, south of Eschinger Road, between Elk Grove and Galt has been contained. Traffic on the freeway, however, remains slow.

Return to www.sacbee.com for more details.

A retired Boeing 727 is making its last flight for FedEx today to Mather Field as it transitions into a new career as a stationary training aircraft for first-responders.

The cargo jet lands on a flight from Texas to Mather about 10:15 a.m. today where it will be greeted on the tarmac by arcs of water from fire engines as it finishes its last flight for FedEx. The delivery company selected Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District to receive the plane.

The donated aircraft will be used at the California Fire and Rescue Training Authority's Regional Training Center under development on Zinfandel Drive. Fire and police agencies from the Sacramento region and beyond will be able to train using the aircraft.

"It can be used by a variety of different agencies," said Michelle Eidam, firefighter and spokeswoman for Sac Metro Fire. "It can be used for fire rescue operations or for mass casualty incident training. Law enforcement can use it for SWAT training or canine training."

The aircraft will be moved around October to the training site. Eidam said the move will require modifications, but she did not know if wings would have to be removed or what the rolling route would be from Mather Field to Zinfandel Drive.

By Benjamin Mullin
bmullin@sacbee.com

Firefighters contained a 237-acre grass fire Thursday that was fed by dry conditions and wind gusts west of Roseville.

The fire burned along PFE Road between Watt Avenue and Walerga Road in Placer County earlier this afternoon. At 2:20 p.m., the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced that firefighters had completely contained the fire.

Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said firefighters had to call in additional help after the blaze threatened two homes. About 100 firefighters from several fire departments responded to the blaze, he said.

By Mark Glover
mglover@sacbee.com

Units of the Cosumnes Fire Department are on the scene of a reported explosion and fire at a two-story home in Elk Grove.

Officials said the fire began just before 7 p.m. in the garage of a home in the 9600 block of Glacier Creek Way, just north of Elk Grove Boulevard and Bradshaw Road.

The fire was reported to have been contained within minutes by fire crews.

Cal Fire has responded to 90 percent more fires in the first five months of the year.

Since Jan. 1, Cal Fire crews have responded to nearly 1,900 wildfires across the state. Cal Fire typically responds to about 990 fires during the same time period.

Fires fought by state crews have burned about 45,000 acres since the first of the year, up from a typical year when 7,700 acres burn.

By Jon Ortiz
jortiz@sacbee.com

An Arden area home was damaged by a fire this morning that started in the garage and spread to the attic before Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews extinguished it.

None of the four adults living in the home was injured in the blaze at 1209 Shadowglen Road, according to a fire department spokeswoman.

The department estimates the fire damage at $100,000 to the $200,000 structure, the spokeswoman said.

Through Twitter, the department said the cause seemed to be accidental, starting in the garage.

A deadly house fire in Rancho Cordova early Sunday claimed the lives to two people and 17 pets, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department said.

Fire Capt. Chris Quinn said firefighters first received a cell phone call at 4:06 a.m. today reporting a fire at the single-story house in the 10500 block of Georgetown Drive in Rancho Cordova.

When firefighters arrived, he said, flames were visible. They knocked the fire down within 15 minutes.

A stubborn 11-acre grass fire in River Bend Park that flared again this morning due to windy conditions has been contained by Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters.

Firefighters battled the blaze last night and were performing mop up duties this morning when the blaze along the American River erupted in brush and grass again. About 10:45 a.m. the fire was contained once again by firefighters.

A total of 19 engines and two water tenders responded to the park near Bradshaw Road and Highway 50. The park was closed this morning so that firefighters could put out the blaze.

A couple were arraigned Thursday in federal court in Sacramento on charges related to the arson of their former home in Antelope.

Alexander Sakhanskiy, 39, and Larisa Sakhanskiy, 43, of Sacramento pleaded not guilty and each was released on a $50,000 bond, according to a federal Department of Justice news release. A status conference is scheduled for June 6 before Chief U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr.

On May 2, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging the Sakhanskiys with arson to commit another felony, mail fraud, wire fraud and arson affecting interstate commerce. The indictment alleges that on May 22, 2010, a fire destroyed the couple's home, a single-family house at 5745 Hawkeye Lane in Antelope. The home was also being used as the business location of "Alex's Plumbing."

Two Rancho Cordova homes were damaged this afternoon in a fire thought to have started between the houses.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews responded about 4:30 p.m. to reports of black smoke and fire coming from a house on Azalea Garden Way, south of Douglas Road and east of Sunrise Boulevard. The person reporting the fire didn't know whether anyone was inside, according to a Fire Department news release.

The first firefighters to arrive searched the houses for occupants and began working to extinguish the fires. Their efforts were complicated by a compromised gas meter, officials said.

The Sacramento County Coroner's office has released the name of the man who died along with four dogs in a house fire on Monday in Fair Oaks.

He was identified as 64-year-old Ronald Burns.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews responded to the fire on the 4000 block of Main Street around 3:15 p.m. First-arriving firefighters reported heavy smoke and flames at the rear of the home.

A Sacramento fire captain was injured this afternoon in an two-alarm apartment fire that displaced two families.

Assistant Fire Chief Niko King of the Sacramento Fire Department said several 911 calls were received about 3:38 p.m. reporting fire at an apartment complex at 5935 Bamford Drive in the Valley Hi area. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the units, and a second alarm was declared.

King said a mother and three children were in one of the two-story units, and a mother and two children were in the other when youngsters began screaming, alerting them to the fire.

Authorities have served a search warrant at the site of an apparent marijuana-growing operation -- a home that was destroyed by fire today, Elk Grove Police reported.

Elk Grove Police spokesman Officer Christopher Trim said a woman who drove to the home has been arrested. Authorities plan to search a second location, he said, and more arrests could follow.

The fire was reported shortly after 11:30 a.m., and firefighters from both the Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department and the Sacramento Fire Department responded.

"As they were putting out the fire, they discovered signs of a marijuana-growing operation," Trim said. "They called us."

The home in the 6000 block of Laguna Villa Way appeared to have been a rental house, Trim said.

Cooler weather has aided firefighters in the battle to control wildfires in California -- however CalFire is keeping an eye on the possibility of lighting-spawned blazes in the northern part of the state today.

In Ventura County, southeast of Camarillo, the blaze that has burned 28,000 acres is 80 percent contained. In Riverside County, at Highway 243, the fire that burned 510 acres is completely contained.

In the north state, a Tehama County fire, eight miles northwest of Butte Meadows, is 60 percent contained after burning 6,800 acres. The fire still burns in the Mill Creek and Deer Creek drainage areas.

In Glenn County, two miles south of Elk Creek, a fire that burned 217 acres is completely contained.

A man suspected of setting a fire near the American River canyon this morning was apprehended by a Placer County sheriff's helicopter crew member as the suspect tried to leave the area.

A resident of Shirland Tract Road called 911 at 11:04 a.m. to report a brush fire in a neighbor's field. The woman also reported seeing a man jumping fences in the neighborhood, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

A sheriff's lieutenant was the first to arrive in the area and he yelled at the man to stop. The man, later identified as Luke Carter, 24, of Vacaville, refused and continued to flee from the lieutenant, sheriff's officials said.

One house was destroyed and another damaged in a wind-driven fire in the Sacramento's Pocket area this afternoon, just a few hours after a vehicle fire spread to a home in North Highlands.

Sacramento city firefighters responded about 4:30 p.m. to a fire at Souza Circle and Portugal Way in the Pocket area. Deputy Chief Lloyd Ogan said they arrived to find a single-story home fully involved and fire extending to a neighboring two-story home.

"It was definitely a wind-driven fire, and it was accelerating very quickly," Ogan said.

Amador and El Dorado County residents planning to burn debris on their property are reminded that residential burn permits will be required beginning Wednesday.

The permits are issued to the public free of charge and are valid for three years from the date of issuance. They allow for burning of dry vegetation -- not household trash -- that originates on the landowner's property, according to a news release from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Amador-El Dorado Unit. The permits are available at most of the area's staffed fire stations.

Cal Fire officials remind residents that the use of burn barrels is no longer legal in Amador and El Dorado counties.

Two south Sacramento County homes were damaged this afternoon in what started as a vehicle fire between the two residences.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were dispatched to the 8300 block of Turnbury Drive, east of Power Inn Road, about 3:38 p.m. regarding a report of a house fire with visible flames. As firefighters were en route, additional callers reported that the fire appeared to be spreading to another home, resulting in a second alarm requesting additional manpower, according to a fire district news release.

Officials said firefighting was made more difficult by gusting winds and a gas meter that was burning with unlimited amount of fuel.

Firefighters this afternoon will sift through the rubble of a heavily damaged home in South Sacramento looking for the cause of an explosive fire - and to make sure there are no bodies in the rubble.

Two people were critically burned in the fire that erupted about 4:30 a.m. today on Herbosa Vista Court. Sounds of explosion were heard coming from the single-story residence.

Firefighters said two vehicles with lights turned off were seen speeding from the scene. Two burn victims were transported by private vehicle to UC Davis Medical Center about 30 minutes after the fire was reported.

Fire officials said they suffered second- and third-degree burns over 50-70 percent of their bodies, including on their hands, faces and legs.

Two families were displaced after a cooking fire at a Citrus Heights apartment complex.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews responded to the 5800 block of Sunrise Vista Drive just before noon today and arrived to find a fire in an upstairs unit. The fire was largely contained to the kitchen area, with some extension into the attic, according to a fire district news release.

The second-floor unit where the fire started sustained the majority of the damage. The exterior of the unit suffered minor fire damage, and the unit below sustained water damage.

A man died after fire blazed through his home Saturday morning.

The case has been turned over to arson investigators, officials said.

The house in the 6100 block of McLaren was in flames and filled with choking smoke when Sacramento Fire Department arrived shortly after 7 a.m., authorities said.

Three occupants in the home were able to escape the burning home, but a 67-year-old man in a rear bedroom was not able to get out. Firefighters rescued him through a side window.

Channel 10 news reports identified him as Charles Ellington, Sr. Ellington was transported to UC Davis Medical Center, where he later was pronounced dead.

A smoke detector is credited with alerting residents of a Sacramento County apartment to fire in their dwelling.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters were dispatched about 6:30 a.m. today to the 4900 block of Little Oak Lane, near Interstate 80 and Madison Avenue. A fire in an upstairs unit was threatening to extend into adjacent apartments when fire crews arrived.

Firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to other units by quickly putting out the blaze. A smoke detector alerted residents to the fire, allowing to residents to vacate the apartment.

Due to lack of rain and unseasonably warm weather, fire season has come early this year.

Officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit are urging residents to use caution when burning debris. Although spring doesn't arrive until next week, the lack of moisture and the increase in temperatures in recent days have quickly dried vegetation in many parts of Northern California, according to a Cal Fire news release.

Cal Fire officials say they have responded to a large number of fires this past week that were caused by escaped debris burns.

The home of a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District employee and a recreational vehicle were heavily damaged by fire over the weekend in Orangevale.

Metro fire crews were called about 4:30 p.m. Saturday to Alterna Court on a report of smoke rising from a residence. Units heading toward the residence could see a large column of black smoke, growing in size, as they approached the address.

What crews found when they arrived, was a motor home well-involved in fire and an already-burning home. The recreational vehicle, parked alongside the residence, was destroyed by fire.

A Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crew was able to enter a burning apartment through windows Thursday and rescue a person who was trapped inside.

Metro Fire was dispatched to the apartment house in the 5800 block of Sunrise Vista Drive near Greenback Lane and Fair Oaks Boulevard after a citizen reported flames and smoke from an apartment. The report also indicated that a person was trapped.

Upon arrival, firefighters saw heavy fire and smoke coming from a downstairs apartment, according Fire Capt. Kim Fong. Firefighters immediately began to extinguish the fire with water, while other crews preformed a search technique that is high-risk, but effective in quickly finding trapped victims.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters today rescued two small dogs from a burning Rancho Cordova mobile home.

The dogs were last reported in critical condition at a pet hospital where they were transported after firefighters administered oxygen to the pets.

The first firefighters at the scene of the 10:30 a.m. fire on Redcoat Lane near Routier Road reported heavy smoke coming from the double-wide mobile home. Crews began to put out the fire and search for two dogs reported to still be inside.

Crews found the dogs, removed them to safety, and began resuscitation. No mobile home residents or firefighters were injured.

Fire damage was estimated at $25,000. Cause of the fire is under investigation.

PHOTO CAPTION: Firefighters administered oxygen to the pets. Sacramento Metro Fire

Auburn police have arrested a teen for allegedly setting a grass fire at a school.

The grass fire set on September 18 also damaged some planters and a lattice structure at Skyridge School, 800 Perkins Way, police said.

A school resource officer on Monday arrested the 14-year-old boy for setting the fire. Police said the teen showed remorse and confessed to events that led up to the fire.

He was booked into Placer County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of arson and other unrelated charges.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews last night worked to put out a garage fire in Rio Linda, preventing spread of the blaze to the living quarters of a home.

Firefighters were called about 7:30 p.m. to the residence in the 6900 block of Shady Woods Way where a garage was burning. Crews attacked the blaze from the garage side door, extinguishing the fire.

Some firefighters also made a search of the home to make sure the residence was empty.

The garage sustained significant damage, according to a fire department press release. A malfunctioning clothes dryer in the garage was suspected to have caused the fire.

Sacramento Metropolitan fire district personnel responded to three separate apartment house blazes last night.

The first occurred about 4 p.m. in the 2500 block of Edison Avenue in Arden Arcade, the second an hour later in the 3800 block of Little Rock Drive near Antelope Road and the third began at around 8 p.m. in the 4900 block of Little Oak Lane in North Highlands.

The fire on Edison Avenue involved an apartment oven. It was contained to the kitchen, according to a fire department spokesman.

A 12-year-old boy who put into practice the fire safety lessons learned in school is credited with saving his family and assisting firefighters.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were dispatched to a structure fire at 11:30 this morning in the 6200 block of Watt Avenue in North Highlands.

While firefighters were en route, the youth, Edward Tapia, got his family safely out of the house.

Woodland police and fire officials are investigating as arson a fire that damaged a garage at a home this morning.

Officers were dispatched about 7 a.m. to a residence in the 1400 block of Crystal Springs Drive for a report of arson. It was determined that sometime Sunday evening or early this morning an incendiary device was placed in the garage, according to a Police Department news release.

The device completely burned a car in the garage and caused moderate damage to the garage itself, police said.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information regarding the case is asked to call the Woodland police Department at (530) 661-7800.

A blaze at a home in Folsom on Monday caused an estimated $250,000 in damage, according to fire officials.

The fire at the two-story home in the 200 block of Singer Lane is still under investigation. Damage was limited to the garage and attic of the residence, according to a Folsom Fire Department press release.

The first firefighters arrived at the burning home between four and five minutes after the first 911 call. The garage was fully involved in flames and smoke when crews got to the two-alarm blaze.

PHOTO CREDIT: Folsom Fire Department

Sacramento police said they are investigating the death of 32-year-old Patrick Kendrick as a homicide after his body was discovered Friday in an apartment fire on Norwood Avenue.

"It appears to be a homicide due to the obvious signs of trauma to his upper body," said police spokesman Officer Doug Morse. "The fire appears to have been set to cover up the homicide."

Sacramento police were called to the scene of the fire Friday morning at about 10 a.m. in the 3700 block of Norwood Avenue after firefighters discovered Kendrick's body inside an apartment that had been engulfed in flames.

Rep. John Garamendi, D-Fairfield, this afternoon will inspect heavy fire damage sustained earlier this month to a large building at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville.

An estimated $10 million in damage was caused to the 38,000-square-foot Civil Engineering Squadron Building, when fire swept through the structure Jan. 21. Because it was the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the building was largely empty of personnel, limiting the chance of fire injury.

One person was in the building at the time of the fire's beginning. That person safely got out.

A fire that heavily damaged three vehicles at a car dealership in Arden Arcade was caused by someone stealing gasoline, according to fire officials.

Fire crews were summoned shortly after 4 a.m. today to Maita Nissan at 2820 Auburn Blvd., where three vehicles were burning. A fourth vehicle suffered radiant heat damage.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews put out the fire and prevented its spread to neighboring Skip's Music store.

Arson investigators determined that an explosion occurred while gasoline was being stolen from the vehicles.

Anyone with information regarding the fire is asked to call the Metro Fire Arson Tip Line at (916) 859-3775.

A woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition this morning following a kitchen fire at an Arden Arcade residence.

Sacramento Metropolitan fire crews responded to the 2800 block of Joseph Avenue at 8:48 a.m. The first units to arrive reported heavy smoke coming from the front door and began to fight the fire while searching for victims. A man was helped out of the house, and a woman was located in a back bedroom, according to a Fire District news release.

The woman had suffered burns and was transported to the UC Davis Medical Center's burn unit. The man was not injured.

A dog alerted his owner last night that his canine buddy was trapped in a North Highlands drainage canal.

The escapade began shortly before midnight at a home on Shell Street in North Highlands. The resident was startled by the sounds of barking in the backyard.

There, the resident noticed a hole in the fence and one of his dogs barking and frantically going in and out of the hole.

"He was kind of like Lassie," said Sac Metro firefighter Rashawn Fulcher.

On the other side of the fence, the dog owner discovered his other dog, an older Akita named RJ, in a predicament.

RJ had gone through the hole and down a steep-walled drainage canal. He could not get back up.

The owner called on Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District for a helping hand. Once at the dry canal, the firefighters went to ditch drainage exit and walk to the dog.

The dog was then led out to safety by the crew of Engine 42 led by Capt. Jason Wenner. Firefighters then further assisted the homeowner by repairing the fence.

PHOTO CAPTION: RJ and his owner with a Sac Metro firefighter.

A fire has destroyed a large building at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville.

The Civil Engineering Squadron Building was gutted by a fire that broke out about 2:30 p.m. Monday. Because it was the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the building was largely empty of personnel, limiting the chance of fire injury.

On person was in the building at the time of the fire's beginning. That person safely got out.

Beale Air Force Base firefighters and crews from Linda and Wheatland responded to the blaze to extinguish the fire, which was still sending up smoke this morning. One firefighter suffered minor injury fighting the blaze.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, according to a base press release.

PHOTO CAPTION: Beale Air Force Base firefighters and crews from Linda and Wheatland extinguish the fire. Courtesy Beale Air Force Base

A fire in Arden Arcade sheds light on the importance of smoke alarms mounted in hallways.

At about 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters responded to a home in the 3100 block of Edison Avenue where a backyard patio structure fire was spreading into a house. The fire was quelled by firefighters.

Before firefighters arrived, aan unidentified citizen driving by the house noticed the flames and pounded on the front door. The resident inside, hearing the pounding, opened her bedroom door to encounter smoke in the house.

The smoke then set off a detector in her bedroom. She escaped without injury.

"Metro Fire would like to remind all residents that properly placed smoke detectors in both the hallways and bedrooms are extremely important," stated a fire district press release.

Fire crews successfully extinguished a fire on a burning locomotive early this morning in Antelope.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were called at 3:30 a.m. to Antelope and Roseville roads where a locomotive train engine was on fire.

Crews were immediately faced with three concerns: putting out the fire, stopping its spread to a nearby train car containing a substance initially unknown to firefighters and preventing a spill of hazardous waste into the soil.

A Citrus Heights couple awoke early this morning after an unattended fire in their fireplace caused a raging fire in the home's attic.

The couple escaped injury, but half of the Peoria Drive home was damaged in the fire, according to a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District news release.

The first arriving firefighters were met with 30- to 40-foot flames. It took 24 firefighters to extinguish it.

Metro Fire officials say the fire is a reminder of the dangers of leaving a fire unattended in a fireplace, and want to remind people to never close the damper when there are hot ashes in the fireplace. According to the news release, a closed damper will help the fire heat up again and force carbon monoxide into the home.

A spokeswoman for a popular sushi restaurant closed after a weekend fire says the eatery plans to reopen at its Hazel Avenue location as soon as possible.

An fire early Saturday at Mikuni Sushi in Fair Oaks, where the restaurant chain began, was doused by the building's sprinkler system, but not before causing in excess of $50,000 in damages. The restaurant has been closed since.

"Our intent is to get everybody working as soon as we can," said Jeanne Mabry, a spokeswoman for the restaurant. She said the damage assessment has been slowed by the holidays, but that restaurant could be open in three weeks.

Mabry said the fire department pegged the damage at $50,000, but that the damage figure was likely higher.

An 18-year-old man who admitted starting numerous fires in the Carmichael area has been sentenced to four years in state prison.

Morgan McGinn (pictured) admitted starting 15 fires during August and September, according to a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District news release.

He was arrested Oct. 1 by arson investigators and charged with five counts of arson and two counts of felony burglary. He pleaded no contest Dec. 20 to one count of arson, according to Sacramento Superior Court online records.

Rags soaked in linseed oil have been identified as the cause of an early morning fire at an Arden-area home that claimed the life of a pet cat.

A resident of the 2800 block of Becerra Way was awakened about 4 a.m. by a crackling sound, and when she went into the kitchen, she saw a glow coming from the garage, according to a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District news release.

The woman awakened the other resident of the home, and both were able to get out of the house and call 911.

Fire officials are urging caution when using space heaters after a 6-year-old boy narrowly escaped injury in a fire at his North Highlands home early this morning.

The boy was asleep about 1 a.m. in a room that had been converted from a garage in the 3600 block of McClellan Drive, with heat provided by two electric space heaters plugged into back-to back extension cords. Two adults were inside the house watching TV, unaware that the space heaters had overloaded the extension cords and started a fire, according to a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District news release.

When the boy's parents returned home, they smelled smoke in the house and found the couch in the room engulfed in flames. The father carried his son to safety while others tried to put out the fire.

Motorcycle repair is the apparent cause of a fire in Carmichael.

Sac Metro fire crews were alerted to the fire about 4 p.m. Tuesday on Oak Stream Court, where a vehicle was reported on fire in a garage. When crews arrived five minutes later, they attacked the intensifying fire and searched for any trapped residents.

Eventually, the fire spread into the attic and part of the second floor, flames extending from eaves toward the house next door.

A smoke alarm did the trick on Sunday, alerting a South area family that a fire inside their home was building in intensity.

The fire in a home on the 8400 block of Cassatt Way about 2 p.m. Sunday began in a master bedroom closet. The residents were home but not in the master bedroom when the smoke alarm sounded.

"We always tell people that smoke alarms save lives," said Sac Metro Battalion Chief Rick Griggs. "They really do. This family was actually home with a fire building upstairs, and had no idea until their smoke alarm alerted them to the danger."

A preliminary investigation failed to find anything criminal in the death of a woman whose body was found in a burned South Sacramento County duplex on Thursday.

Pending a coroner's autopsy and a fire department investigation, there was no "criminality" involved said Sgt. Jason Ramos with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters were called to the duplex in the 5400 block of Sky Parkway about 2 p.m. Thursday. A citizen reported that flames were coming from one unit in the duplex.

Two people were transported to an area hospital with injuries suffered during a two-alarm fire tonight that damaged eight apartment units in the Foothill Farms area.

Firefighter Michelle Eidam, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, said crews were called to the apartment complex at 5101 Hackberry Lane, just south of Madison Avenue, at 5:37 p.m.

The fire started in the kitchen of an apartment, where a man was cooking and spread into a breezeway that provides access to four upstairs units.

A massive fire burned Thursday in one of the hydroelectric generating units connected to Oroville Dam on the Feather River.

The fire began at 7 a.m. Thursday in the Thermalito Pumping-Generating Plant, downstream of Oroville Dam at Thermalito Forebay.

No one has been injured in the fire, which is believed to have started in the control room, said CalFire Capt. Keith Castillo.

Damage is likely to be extensive to the equipment in the building and the structure itself, said Ted Thomas, a DWR spokesman.

No power outages are expected, nor any water shortages for customers of the State Water Project.

-- Matt Weiser

Two people died last night in a fire that destroyed an old house in Pilot Hill.

The fire was reported at 4531 Salmon Falls Road at about 6 p.m. Sunday. An El Dorado County Fire District engine from Cool responded in seven minutes to the single-family home engulfed in fire.

Firefighters tried to enter the home but could not because of the flames. Neighbors told them that two people were inside the home, which investigators said was about a century old.

The third fire traced to electrical problems in 30 days has prompted a suburban fire district to caution homeowners about doing electrical repairs themselves.

On Thursday at about 3:30 p.m. Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters were called to the 8100 block of Dunes Court, near Highway 99 and Calvine Road, where a garage was engulfed in flames. Crews stopped the fire from spreading into the home and also rescued the family dog and cat.

The residents of the home were away at the time of the fire. Arson investigators determined "the cause to be electrical in nature," according to a fire district press release.

Investigators were working today to determine the cause and origin of a Monday night apartment complex fire in Arden-Arcade area that critically injured one person and displaced residents of a 14-unit building.

Firefighter Michelle Eidam, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, said the two-alarm fire was reported at 11:29 p.m. in the 2700 block of Castle Hill Court, east of Fulton Avenue and north of El Camino Avenue. Crews arrived to find a fire burning in second story units of a two-story building.

Eidam said two people were injured. Firefighters rescued a man from one unit and he was taken to UC Davis Medical Center in critical condition. Eidam said a woman was also treated at the scene for minor injuries.

A fire in a Citrus Heights mobile home park claimed the life of a female resident early Friday morning.

The unidentified woman was found dead, along with two small dogs, inside a recreational vehicle at the Auburn Vista Mobile Home Park at 7721 Auburn Blvd., when Sacramento Metro firefighters arrived on the scene about 2:30 a.m., said Battalion Chief Patrick Ellis.

Ellis said the RV was apparently the woman's home.

Fire officials say an electrical problem appears to have caused a fire that damaged a mobile home in Orangevale this morning.

Shortly after 8 a.m., an elderly resident of the mobile home at 9340 Orangevale Ave. heard a "pop" in the back bedroom that was followed by fire, according to a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District news release.

Fire crews responded to a report of heavy smoke and found a fire in the rear section of the mobile home.With residents safely outside the home, firefighters worked to keep the fire from spreading to neighboring homes. Officials said the fire was quickly brought under control and confined to back section of the home.

No injuries were reported.

Damage from the fire was estimated at $20,000.

Photo courtesy Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District

A controlled grassland burn may be noticeable by Elk Grove residents today.

Federal and local firefighters will be burning up to 37 acres of grassland within the Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. The burn will take place south of Elk Grove, north of Lambert Road and about a mile west of Interstate 5.

Smoke should quickly dissipate, according to a press release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The burn helps with firefighter training, reduces high grass fire danger and improves wildlife habitat.

A South Lake Tahoe man was being held on $1 million bail after he was arrested in connection with a trailer fire last night.

Firefighters responded to the fire at the trailer park on James Avenue in South Lake Tahoe about 11:20 p.m. Thursday. As firefighters extinguished the flames in one trailer, police officers evacuated neighboring units.

A resident of the burning trailer stated she was awakened by heavy smoke and was able to exit before the fire spread to the front door. She told police she didn't know if her roommate, Eric Almdale, was able to save himself.

A fire caused an estimated $100,000 damage to a south Sacramento County home this afternoon.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were called to the area of Montevina Drive and Westray Way west of Waterman Road shortly after 12:30 p.m. regarding a report of black smoke coming from a residence. The fire was a few of blocks away, in the 9200 block of Colonsay Way.

Firefighters found the attic and roof on the north side of the residence on fire but were able to quickly contain the blaze to that section of the residence, according to a district news release.

An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and burglary in connection with a series of fires that occurred in Carmichael during August and September.

Members of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District's arson unit this morning arrested Morgan McGinn (pictured), who admitted to starting 15 fires, according a district news release. He is accused of five counts of felony arson and two counts of felony burglary.

Officials said McGinn admitted to arson investigators that he was responsible for starting fires Aug. 17 at the Phoenix Preschool, 2921 Garfield Ave., and in debris at the Loma Linda Apartments, 5545 Marconi Ave.; Aug. 18 at the Marconi Montessori School, 5619 Marconi Ave., and the Carmichael Library, 5600 Marconi Ave.; Sept. 23, at the Carmichael Presbyterian Church, 5645 Marconi Ave., and at a vacant house at 5645 Myrtle Lane. He also admitted to attempted arson of an occupied structure at an undisclosed address and to eight additional fires that are under investigation, officials said.

Firefighters have gained control of a two-alarm fire at an apartment house on Gloria Drive near 43rd Avenue in south Sacramento this morning.

The fire, affecting four units, two downstairs and two upstairs, broke out around 7:30 a.m.

Firefighters have searched the apartments. There had been an early report of somebody trapped in one unit, a Sacramento City Fire Department official reported.

One woman was trapped on a second floor balcony and was forced to jump. She was transported to the hospital for treatment of her injuires.

Light rail cars to Folsom were back on track this morning after a broken insulator caused a disruption of passenger train service Tuesday afternoon.

About 2 p.m. Tuesday service was interrupted on the line between the Sunrise and Historic Folsom stations. Buses were called upon to ferry train passengers around the problem.

A Regional Transit official said an insulator broke and caused an electrical wire to fall. A resulting fire burned more than 6 acres. About 50 firefighters battled the blaze for about an hour before controlling it.

By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com

A wildfire near the hairpin turn where Highway 193 meets Rock Creek Road has burned 45 acres north of Placerville and is 60 percent contained, a battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said today.

Battalion Chief Julie Hutchinson said no structures were threatened in the Rock Fire, which started shortly before 5:30 p.m. Saturday and burned in a northerly direction. The fire has burned mainly brush land north of Placerville and the Chili Bar Reservoir and south of Georgetown.

Firefighters are investigating a possible arson in Antelope this morning after putting out a home fire, Sacramento Metro Fire District officials said.

At 2:53 a.m., firefighters received a call of a house fire at 7858 Caber Way. Firefighters saw smoke coming from the house and knocked on the front door. The door was locked and nobody answered, causing firefighters to force entry.

When searching through the house, nobody was found inside.

Firefighters put out multiple fires located in the attic and the hallway of the house.

The fire is currently under investigation.

Officials are investigating a suspicious fire that erupted this morning at a vacant house in Citrus Heights, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said.

Firefighters responded just before 8 a.m. to heavy smoke and flames pouring from a home at 6921 Birchwood Circle, according to a news statement. Crews discovered the house was vacant and extinguished the fire, which burned into the attic and attached garage.

Investigators said frequent squatters were reported at the house. One witness described a man in his 30s with a beard leaving the scene on a bike and pulling a trailer just before the fire was reported.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Metro Fire arson tip line at (916) 859-3775.

By Richard Chang and Phillip Reese
preese@sacbee.com

Firefighters made good progress toward containing a complex of fires in southern Colusa County Sunday, while a separate fire in Lake County grew.

The two fires that comprise the 16 Complex burn four miles apart on Highway 16 in the remote Rumsey Canyon area of Colusa County, near the Yolo County border. By Sunday night, the complex had burned 18,000 acres and was 80 percent contained, according to updates from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Favorable weather conditions Sunday allowed firefighters to increase containment. Officials don't expect the complex to burn much new ground.

The 16 Complex fire, which started Tuesday in a remote area of Colusa County, has burned 16,719 acres and was reported 35 percent contained late this afternoon.

The complex consists of two fires burning about four miles apart along Highway 16 south of Highway 20.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that an advisory evacuation warning is in effect for the Cortina Rancheria area. Residents are on notice to be prepared for a potential evacuation order.

The 16 Complex fire burning in a remote area of Colusa County grew nearly 3,000 acres overnight.

The fire was reported 20 percent contained this morning with 12,500 acres burned.

The 16 Complex consists of two fires about four miles apart along Highway 16, south of Highway 20.

The 16 Complex fire was reported 20 percent contained this evening with 9,754 acres burned in a remote area of Colusa County.

The 16 Complex consists of two fires about four miles apart along Highway 16, south of Highway 20.

An evacuation is in effect for the Cortina Rancheria area. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that 23 residences, one commercial property and seven outbuildings are threatened.

Lighting activity during the past 24 hours has resulted in 13 wildland fires from 310 lightning strikes in areas served by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Amador-El Dorado Unit.

The unexpected thunderstorm brought lightning with wetting rain in some areas and dry lightning, with little of no rain, in other areas, according to a Cal Fire news release.

"Cal Fire firefighters are aggressively suppressing wildland fires across the unit in the state responsibility lands ranging from very rugged and often isolated areas covered in timber to the oak woodlands in the front country," Brian Estes, incident commander, said in a written statement. "We anticipate that additional wildland fires will erupt as the affected areas dry out later this week."

Dry lightning has already sparked more than a dozen wildland fires today in the Sierra Nevada and northeastern part of the state, according to Cal Fire.

A low pressure system is spawning a considerable number of thunderstorms that are devoid of rain but still feature lightning, Cal Fire said in a press release.

"With the already tinder-dry conditions, this lightning storm system has elevated the fire danger even higher this week," said Cal Fire director Ken Pimlott.

Cal Fire has staffed reserve fire engines and placed more inmate fire crews on around-the-clock availability.

A second fire in two weeks at a commercial building on Florin Road is being called suspicious.

Fire personnel responded early this morning to Meat Outlet USA, 5858 Florin Road. Firefighters went inside the business to fight the fire and also went onto the roof.

When the roof began to collapse, crews were ordered to the ground and out of the interior. All firefighters were able to retreat to safety.

The fire was contained within 30 minutes, but not before the building suffered extensive damage, according to a press release from the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but is considered suspicious because it is the second fire in less than two weeks at the business.

By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com

Hundreds of firefighters are converging this evening on a remote area of Colusa County where two wildfires have combined.

The 16 Complex fire was reported at 3:49 this afternoon and as of 7:30 p.m. it had burned 500 acres along Highway 16, south of Highway 20, and was 10 percent contained. No structures are threatened.

Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said about an 8-mile stretch of Highway 16 has been closed to traffic from Highway 20 into Rumsey Canyon.

A hot riding lawn mower parked in a garage caused an estimated $160,000 in fire damage at a property near Sloughhouse.

Sac Metro and Folsom firefighters responded to the the fire about 3:45 p.m. Monday in the 7500 block of Sloughhouse Road. The homeowner's garage was ablaze when fire crews arrived.

Two occupants of the home exited the residence when they detected smoke coming from the door leading to the garage. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the garage and the home's attic.

The cause of the fire, according to Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, was a mower that was used and put away hot in the garage too close to combustibles.

The City of Sacramento reminds residents to be safe while enjoying Labor Day activities.

"We want residents to be mindful and exercise safety precautions while celebrating this weekend," state Fire Chief Ray Jones in a press release.

Tips for the holiday weekend from the city:

 Drink plenty of water while enjoying outdoor activities.

 Wear sun screen lotion.

 If you must leave a pet in a car for any amount of time, park in the shade and leave the windows down.

 Wear a life jacket when swimming at the river.

 Be careful to watch children around swimming pools.

 Don't BUI - boat under the influence.

Six show horses perished in a fire that swept through a barn outside of Dixon this morning.

Dixon fire officials said the horses were already dead by the time firefighters arrived at Dreamland Farms, a 60-acre ranch that raises and sells horses for jumping competitions and other events in show arenas.

On Dreamland Farms website, horses at the ranch are offered for sale. Sale price include $12,000 for a 15-year-old "jumper" for $12,000 to $50,000 for 12-year-old champion.

When firefighters arrived about 1:30 a.m. farm in the 8100 block of North Meridian Road near Sweeney Road the horse barn was fully involved in flames. The barn was destroyed in the blaze.

Minor damage was sustained to a second barn. Cause of the fire is under investigation.

A fire that damaged a vacant house in the Arden Arcade area Monday night is under investigation and described by authorities as suspicious.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were dispatched shortly after 7:30 p.m. to 3649 Chadsworth Way regarding a report of smoke coming from attic vents. Firefighters found a vacant house with light smoke coming from the attic.

Crews quickly located the source of the fire -- wiring connected to the heating system -- and extinguished it within five minutes of arriving at the scene, according to a department news release. Officials said fire damage was limited to the attic and the hallway closet, where the fire started. Damage was estimated at $20,000.

No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information regarding the fire is asked to call the Metro Fire Arson Tip Line at (916) 859-3775.

Residents in the Sacramento region are feeling the relief of a marine layer pushing through the Delta and cooling the valley today, but firefighters to the north are battling to stay ahead of blazes burning southeast of Redding and in the Plumas National Forest.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning in the north state fire areas involving the Ponderosa fire 25 miles southeast of Redding and the fire burning in Plumas National Forest. The NWS is forecasting winds of between 10 mph to 20 mph, gusting to 35 mph, from noon to 10 p.m. for the northeast mountains of interior California, east of the Northern Sacramento Valley.

Humidity will be low, just 13 percent, said Kathy Hoxsie, forecaster for NWS.

Crews fighting wildland blazes are anticipating better conditions the next two days with relief predicted from gusty winds, according to Cal Fire.

About 8,000 firefighters are making progress against nine fires that have raged across the north state. However, strong winds may return on Sunday, according to a Cal Fire press release.

Cal Fire crews contained the Mill fire in Tehama County Thursday evening. Local, state and federal firefighters continue to battle other blazes:

 Ponderosa fire, Tehama and Shasta counties, 28,000 acres, 68 percent contained.

 North Pass fire, Mendocino County, 20,775 acres, 18 percent contained.

 Chips fire, Plumas County, 63,160 acres, 55 percent contained.

 Fort Complex, Siskiyou County, 6,683 acres, 37 percent contained.

 Ramsey fire, Calaveras County, 1,137 acres, 95 percent contained.

 Rush Fire, Lassen County, 330,793 acres, 64 percent contained.

 Bagley Complex, Shasta County, 11,083 acres, 5 percent contained.

 Antelope fire, Modoc County, 650 acres, 25 percent contained.

 Barry Point Fire, Oregon and Modoc County, 93,000 acres, 70 percent contained.

A garage fire was responsible for a column of dark smoke in Carmichael this afternoon.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews responded to a report of a structure fire in the 6200 block of Samoa Way in Carmichael at 3:45 p.m. They arrived to find a fire in the garage of a single-story home.

Two men at the home reported smelling smoke. When they opened the door from the house to the garage, they discovered the fire, according to a Fire District news release. They were able to get out of the house unharmed before firefighters arrived.

Fire officials are investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed the garage of a vacant residence in Rancho Cordova early this morning.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were dispatched to a report of flames at a house in the 3300 block of Romford Way. They arrived to find the garage on fire and already collapsing, according to a Fire District news release.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the garage, preventing it from spreading to the house or attic. No other structures were damaged.

Demolition of burned remains of the McKinley Park playground began today thanks to a Sacramento company.

American Technologies Inc., a firm that handles water, fire and other damage, has volunteered to perform the work for free.

It is expected that the clean-up will take three days. Fire destroyed about one-third of the big, wooden play area in east Sacramento's McKinley Park on July 21.

The demolition work would have cost about $7,500 if American Technologies had not offered to donate their services. Already pledged in-kind and cash donations to rebuild are estimated at $35,000.

Donations include $5,000 from California Senate president pro tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, to a 7 year old's lemonade stand profit.

A fun run, raffles and other fundraisers are planned to raise money for the playground, which is a magnet for people from all over Sacramento. The playground is located near a pond, library, basketball courts and swimming pool.

Barry Metcalf, Sacramento branch manager of American Technologies, said it was natural that his firm would want to help.

"My family has been using the playground for years, so the need was right there in front of us," he said in a City of Sacramento press release.

More information is available at www.rebuildmckinley.org.

Cal Fire reports that more than a dozen wildfires continue to burn across the state, dirtying the air and threatening homes.

Cooler weather is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday. Fire officials say that more mild weather will aid firefighters in their battle to contain the blazes.

A roundup of notable fires burning in Northern California as of this morning:

Firefighters rescued a dog from an Arden Arcade home Sunday evening when a grease fire caused heavy damage to the two-story residence.

When Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District personnel responded to the blaze in the 1800 block of Venus Drive about 5:15 p.m. Sunday smoke was billowing from the eaves of the home.

Firefighters immediately began to extinguish the fire and also search the house. The occupants of the home had already exited the home before firetrucks arrived, but firefighters were called upon to rescue the family dog.

By Ravali Reddy

rreddy@sacbee.com

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department responded to two fires in the last 24 hours, both at local preschools.

At 11:13 p.m. Friday, a fire was reported at Phoenix Preschool, 2921 Garfield Ave. According to a Metro Fire press release, a well-involved fire was contained to one residential structure. No one was injured.

At 1:19 a.m. Saturday, a structure fire was reported at a Montessori Preschool at 5619 Marconi Ave. Crews once again contained the blaze to one structure and extinguished it. No injuries resulted.

The preschools are about 2 blocks from one another. Metro Fire did not reveal whether the fires are related. They are both being investigated. According to the press release, preliminary investigations indicate that both fires appear to have been intentionally set.

Metro Fire is asking anyone with information regarding these fires to call the arson tip line at (916) 859-3775.

The cause of a residential fire in which a firefighter suffered minor injuries is under investigation.

Crews from the Sacramento Metropolitan and Consumes Fire districts responded at 3:42 this afternoon to a report of a fire in the 9700 block of Splender Way, east of Bradshaw Road and north of Calvine Road.The arrived to find a two-story home on fire, with thick smoke and flames coming from second-floor windows, according to a Sacramento Metro Fire news release.

No occupants were located.

A wildfire that began Thursday in southern El Dorado County was reported fully contained this afternoon after burning 23.8 acres.

Emergency crews will remain on the scene in the Logtown area and continue to strengthen containment lines and put out hot spots in the burn area throughout the day, according to a news release from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Amador-El Dorado Unit. Firefighting crews will check on the area throughout the weekend.

The fire in the area of Sandridge and Balmaceda roads was reported at 3:54 p.m. Thursday, and within minutes a large smoke column was visible from the Placerville area. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Department contacted residents regarding voluntary evacuation of the Balmaceda Road area. The California Highway Patrol closed Sandridge Road between Highway 49 and Tripp Road to allow emergency equipment to get into the area. The road was reopened about four hours later.

A vacant home in Arden Arcade was destroyed this morning by a fire that is considered suspicious.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews arrived at the residence at 4149 Whitney Avenue about 3:30 a.m. to find a garage burning, fire inside the home and flames shooting through the roof.

Firefighters searched the inside but found no occupants. Crews extinguished the attic fire from the interior of the home and doused the garage flames, a fire district press release states.

The home was considered a total loss.

The height of the fire season finds 9,000 federal, state and local firefighters on the frontlines of a dozen large wildfires burning in the state.

Details of notable fires as of this morning:

 Wye fire, Lake and Colusa counties, 8,000 acres, 80 percent contained.

 Salmon fire, El Dorado County, Salmon Falls Road, 108 acres, fully contained.

 Mill fire, Butte County, 1,025 acres, 15 percent contained.

 Ramsey fire, Calaveras County, 1,150 acres, 30 percent contained.

 Rush Fire, Lassen County, 140,949 acres, 25 percent contained.

Firefighters are making good progress despite hot, dry conditions, according to Cal Fire. Cal Fire on Wednesday suspended all burning permits within the State Responsibility Area of California.

Campfires within organized campgrounds are allowed if they are a designated campfire site.

Fire crews are close to corralling a wildland fire in the Pilot Hill area of El Dorado County that prompted voluntary evacuations for some residents of the rural area.

What has been dubbed the Salmon fire has burned 108 acres and was reported 90 percent contained this evening with full containment expected by midnight.

The fire was reported at 2:23 p.m. in the area of Salmon Falls and Gallagher roads, said Teri Mizuhara, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Amador-El Dorado Unit. She said some structures were threatened.

Sgt. Phil Chovanec of the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department said a voluntary evacuation was in effect this afternoon for residents of Equestrian Way and Hound Hollow Road.

Mizuhara said the fire was burning in an area of oak woodlands.

Along with Cal Fire, crews from the El Dorado Hills Fire Department, El Dorado County Fire District and the U.S. Forest Service are on scene with engines and water tenders. Aircraft also are being used to fight the fire, Mizuhara said.

A house across from Winn Park in midtown Sacramento was heavily damaged in a fire late Friday.

The fire at 1617 28th St. was reported about 11:15 p.m. No one was in the house at the time, and there were no injuries, said Battalion Chief Craig Wiedenhoeft of the Sacramento City Fire Department.

Firefighters first approached the house from the rear, since they had been told that a shed in the alley behind the house was in flames, Wiedenhoeft said.

By Bill Lindelof

blindelof@sacbee.com

Sacramento city firefighters today are mopping up fire that erupted at a long-closed auto dealership at Florin Road and Franklin Boulevard.

Around 9:30 p.m., firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at the former auto lot that last housed Paul Blanco Chevrolet, 3815 Florin Road.

In May 2008, the Blanco dealership closed, part of a consolidation buyout offer from Chevrolet. Cause of the fire has not been determined.

PHOTO CAPTION: The abandoned Paul Blanco Chevrolet dealership. Bill Lindelof/Sacramento Bee

Sacramento city firefighters have responded to a two-alarm fire at an abandoned Chevrolet auto dealership at Florin Road and Franklin Boulevard.

No further information was immediately available.

A fire destroyed a shed and threatened nearby duplexes near American River College this afternoon.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews responded at 2:45 p.m. to a report of a structure fire in the 4700 block of River College Drive. They arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the rear of a single-story home. Making their way to the back of the residence, firefighters found a small shed, approximately 6 feet by 8 feet, that was fully engulfed in flames with the potential to spread to two nearby duplexes, according to a fire district news release.

Fire crews were able to quickly douse the flames and extinguish the fire. Officials said the shed and contents were a total loss, but damage to the duplexes was limited to minor exterior heat damage.

By David Ruiz
druiz@sacbee.com

An Oak Park fire spread to adjacent structures today in part because of scheduled fire station brownouts, said Sacramento Fire Department Assistant Chief Niko King.

At 8:21 A.M. firefighters received a call about a fire in the 4600 block of 14th Avenue, King said.

"The fire started in a detached garage that had been converted into a living space and then spread from there," he said.

By Jane Braxton Little
Bee Correspondent

QUINCY - A wildfire that started in the Feather River Canyon July 29 has grown to nearly 15,000 acres while a second lightning-sparked fire has burned over 3,000 acres near Eagleville in Modoc County.

The Chips fire, which is burning in heavy brush and timber near Chips and Indian creeks, is moving north and east toward Soda Creek in northwestern Plumas County, said Alissa Tanner, a fire information officer.

A 300-acre spot fire jumped the north fork of the Feather River, causing the closure of Caribou Road from Highway 70 to Butt Lake. Numerous campgrounds along the north fork and at Butt Lake are closed, Tanner said.

Mopping up begins today on a fire that has charred 45 acres of timber and brush southeast of Jenkinson Lake in El Dorado County.

The fire was first reported Sunday afternoon near the Sly Park reservoir. Crews are reported today to have secured a line around most of the fire.

The U.S. Forest Service said that firefighters will conduct mop-up operations and continue to build a secure fire line today. The fire is 90 percent contained.

Cause of the fire is under investigation.

Arson is suspected in a fire at Sheepherder Bar and Grille in Rancho Cordova.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District personnel were called to the restaurant at about 4:45 a.m. today to find a storage shed and an exterior wooden staircase on fire.

The fire was quickly extinguished but not before causing an estimated $12,000 in damage.

Cause of the fire is being investigated, but authorities found indications that the blaze was intentionally set, a press release states.

A 2007 Bee restaurant review said that Sheepherder was originally built as the Citrus Inn in 1913, or maybe 1912 -- the historical record is unclear.

Containment was placed at 60 percent for a fire burning southeast of Jenkinson Lake today in El Dorado County.

The fire was first reported Sunday afternoon near the Sly Park reservoir. Crews worked through the night, securing a line around the southern end of the wildfire.

No structures were reported threatened this morning, according to fire officials. Total acres of timber and brush burned was placed at 35.

The U.S. Forest Service and CalFire were working to contain the fire today. A cause had not been determined.

A five-alarm fire swept through two large buildings in the Richards Boulevard area this morning, destroying a party décor business and gutting a warehouse.

The blaze on Dos Rios Street at Richards Boulevard was first reported at 1:56 a.m.

Flames were shooting 100-feet in the air when firefighters arrived. It took three hours to control the blaze and at daybreak water was still being directed into the structure and smoke was billowing into the sky.

A woman suffered minor injuries trying to save her two small dogs from a fire that spread from the garage to the living quarters of a Carmichael home this evening.

Assistant Fire Chief Walt White said Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were called to 2800 block of La Colina Way at 6:35 p.m. and arrived to find the home's garage burning.

He said a man and woman were at the house when the fire started. The man was outside barbecuing and the woman was inside the home. The woman discovered the fire when she opened the door from the house to the garage.

A sprinkler system was credited with extinguishing a fire at a Rancho Cordova cabinet manufacturing business Monday night, but fire officials said the unmonitored system caused extensive water damage.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were dispatched at 11:04 p.m. to a report of water coming from a building occupied by River City Millwork Inc. at 3045 Fite Circle. Crews arrived to find water flowing under the doors of the large commercial tilt-up building. After forcing their way inside, firefighters found that a small fire at a work station had activated a sprinkler head and the fire had been extinguished.

No one was in the building when fire crews arrived.

Firefighters are mopping up after a fire damaged an apartment unit in the 2600 block of Darwin Street in the Arden Arcade area.

Assistant Chief Walt White said the department responded to the report of a structure fire at 6:13 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find a fire inside a corner apartment unit, at Darwin Street and Bluebird Lane.

White said no one was found inside the apartment, which was supposed to be unoccupied. He said the property manager reported that the previous tenant, a woman who had been evicted two days ago, was seen leaving the area shortly before the fire was discovered.

The cause of the fire, which was contained to the one unit, is under investigation.

Four cases of suspected arson are under investigation in Grass Valley following a series of fires that occurred overnight.

The first call came into the Grass Valley police dispatch center at 11:30 p.m. Sunday reporting a fire at 404 S. Auburn St. Police and firefighters arrived within minutes and found the structure in flames, according to a Police Department news release.

About 12:24 a.m. today, a second report of a fire was received, this time at 114 Neal St, the former Tribal Weavers building. Police were able to extinguish the fire, which resulted in minor damage.

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

An El Dorado Hills woman remains in critical condition after her vehicle rolled off the Rubicon Trail, causing a 2-acre forest fire and stranding as many as 300 other Jeeps participating in the Jeepers Jamboree.

Rachel Anne Gray, 21, was part of a large caravan of off-road enthusiasts driving northbound on an El Dorado County road early Saturday evening when the 1961 Jeep Willy she was driving careened off an embankment near Cadillac Hill, said officer Dan Stark, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

The vehicle overturned several times, ejecting Gray and a 34-year-old male passenger from Pilot Hill before catching fire, Stark said.

Both Gray and the passenger were transported to the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, he said.

Fire officials are warning that the American River is running swiftly and cold after they rescued a man pinned by rushing water against an abutment of the Watt Avenue Bridge.

Sacramento fire and Metro fire personnel responded about 4:30 p.m. Monday to the river at Watt Avenue. There, they set about to help a rafter who had fallen into the water and become pinned against the bridge abutment.

The rafter, whose head and chest were above water level, could not move in the strong current, according to a Metropolitan Fire District press release.

Firefighters first got a life vest and rope line to the man. A crew in a Metro fire boat rescued the rafter and brought him to shore.

He was transported to the hospital for medical evaluation.

Sixteen lightning-sparked fires have burned 78 acres in El Dorado and Amador counties.

What fire officials have dubbed the Amador Lightning Complex started at 11: 30 p.m. Sunday and was reported 20 percent contained this evening. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that more than 1,800 lightning strikes hit the two counties in the past two days.

Cal Flre spokesman Daniel Berlant said the agency has responded to about 50 fires throughout Northern California as a result of lightning strikes Sunday and today. The largest single fire burned 75 acres near Copperopolis in Calaveras County.

Firefighters were mopping up a fire outside of the Yolo County community of Guinda today.

Good overnight progress was reported on the fire that as of 8 a.m. today was 95 percent contained. The blaze, which began Saturday morning, had burned 520 acres.

Overnight, firefighters had good success in building containment lines around the fire and extinguished hot spots. Today firefighters would work to mop up remaining hotspots.

No structures were destroyed.

Information provided by the public shortly after the Robbers fire started last week led to today's arrest of a 28-year-old Sacramento man, according to fire officials.

Bryon Mason (pictured) was arrested on suspicion of recklessly causing the fire that began about 3:30 p.m. July 11 off Yankee Jims Road near the north fork of the American River in Placer County. Bail is set at $100,000.

Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said investigators determined that the fire was started by a pyrotechnic device.

"That first day, we received numerous reports from people who allegedly had information (about how the fire started), and that's what helped us get to this point," Berlant said.

Crews battling the Robbers Fire in Placer County had the blaze 90 percent contained this morning.

According to the CalFire Website, full containment is expected Saturday.

According to a Placer County press release, as of 10 a.m., all closed roads will be open, but only to residents and other local individuals. These roads are Yankee Jims Road at Canyon Way and at Gillis Hill Road. This also applies to Yankee Jims Road and Small Hope Mine Lane on the east side of fire.

Grinding work to remove bolts in an operation to salvage lumber from a barn may have sparked a fire in a pear orchard in the Sloughhouse area Wednesday afternoon, according to fire investigators.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews responded at 4:57 p.m. to a report of a fire at 7801 Sloughhouse Road. When they arrived, firefighters found a large barn at the rural pear ranch well involved in fire. They called for assistance from the Cosumnes and Wilton fire department to combat the fast-moving blaze.

The fire destroyed two vacant bunkhouses and two barns that were not in use, all of which were reportedly scheduled for demolition, according to a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District news release.

A week after they were forced from their homes by the Robbers Fire, residents of the Brushy Creek and Yankee Jims areas will be allowed to return to their residences.

Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said evacuees will be allowed back into these areas beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Homes in these areas, he said, account for a majority of the 170 residences that had been threatened by the fire

The cooler weather has allowed firefighters to make progress in corralling a stubborn Placer County wildland blaze.

The Robbers fire, which started July 11, was 60 percent contained as of late this afternoon, Berlant said.

Total acreage burned is 2,650 acres. The onset of cooler weather, higher humidity and lack of major wind has helped firefighters.

By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com

The Robbers fire, which has consumed one home and three outbuildings in Placer County, has grown to 2,250 acres but remains 20 percent contained, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported today.

Nearly 2,000 firefighters from San Diego to Siskiyou County are battling the blaze, which is burning in areas that are remote, steep and overgrown with heavy brush and timber.

"Every afternoon when the temperatures heat up and get to their peak, the fire becomes very active," Berlant said. "That's when we see it making its run through some of these steep areas."

By Sam Stanton
sstanton@sacbee.com

The Robbers Fire in Placer County continued to grow today, destroying the first structures since it broke out Wednesday.

CalFire officials said the fire had burned one home and three outbuildings, although the could not say immediately where the burned structures had been.

Despite those losses, firefighters were making progress getting a handle on the blaze.
The fire had burned 1,950 acres by tonight and still was threatening 170 homes in areas near Iowa Hill, Foresthill and other communities. But CalFire officials said the fire containment had grown to 20 percent from only 10 percent on Friday night.

The fire that has scorched more than 1,000 acres of wildland and threatened homes near Foresthill is still burning this morning but its march has at least temporarily slowed.

However, fire officials are worried that the afternoon will bring hot winds that could push the fire toward houses despite the best efforts of more than 1,800 firefighters.

Dubbed the Robbers fire, it began about 3:20 p.m. Wednesday near the east bank of the north fork of the American River and burned eastward, toward Iowa Hill. Since then, aerial and ground efforts to quell the blaze have been on-going.

Overnight, the fire was relatively quiet. That was in contrast to Thursday when the fire made several different runs in various directions, the most aggressive being in the southeast direction toward the Yankee Jims area.

High temperatures today worked against fire crews battling the Robbers Fire northwest of Foresthill in Placer County.

The California Department or Forestry and Fire Protection reports that the fire has burned at least 700 acres and is 10 percent contained. Earlier today it had been reported 20 percent contained at 317 acres.

CalFire officials announced late this afternoon that additional evacuations for about 30 homes were in progress on Spring Garden Road, Pine Grove, Log Cabin Lane, Pine Mountain Road, Small Hope Mine Lane and Owl Creek Road.

In all, 80 homes were reported threatened and about 300 people had been ordered to evacuate.

By 1:45 p.m. more than 1,000 firefighters had been called in to battle the blaze, state fire officials said, and as fire activity picked up, additional resources were requested from as far away as Southern California.

About 200 people attended a community meeting this evening at the evacuation center at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Foresthill to receive an update from fire officials. The biggest question was the safety of their homes.

Firefighters had worried earlier that the fire might jump the American River and head west, putting parts of the more-populated town of Colfax in jeopardy. As of this evening, however, it was reported moving to the southeast and northeast.

A fire burning northwest of Foresthill in Placer County was reported 20 percent contained at 200 acres shortly before 10 p.m.

Calfire officials said evacuations will remain in effect overnight, with shelter available at the Foresthill Veterans Memorial Hall, 24601 Harrison Road, Foresthill. Mike Fitch, a Placer County spokesman, said about 25 people planned to spend the night. An evacuation center in Colfax was closed when there appeared to be little need for a shelter at that location.

The fire is in rugged terrain east of the north fork of the American River. It was burning on the Foresthill side of the river early this evening, moving toward Iowa Hill. The fire began about 3:20 p.m. and quickly grew to 200 acres.

Firefighters from the Sacramento region are part of the effort to quell a big fire in Colusa County.

The strike force from Sacramento includes eight firefighters and two engines from Cosumnes Fire Department, two engines from Sacramento City Fire Department and an engine and strike team leader from Folsom Fire Department.

A press release from the Cosumnes Fire Department said the firefighters are helping to extinguish the "Mill Fire," which has burned 13,000 acres of timber and brush. The fire is only 20 percent contained.

Firefighters in Roseville put out a smoky blaze in an apartment this morning.

The fire was reported about 7:30 a.m. today in an apartment house at the intersection of Main Street and Berkeley Avenue. Arriving firefighters saw smoke coming from the doorway of a first floor apartment.

Roseville police began evacuating occupants from the two-story residential building while firefighters entered the burning first-floor apartment. The fire was quickly extinguished.

Twenty fire personnel responded to the blaze, which caused an estimated $10,000 in damage. Cause of the fire is under investigation.

Firefighter medics had to call upon Sacramento police Sunday night when an unruly crowd prevented them from assisting a patient, police said.

Sacramento Fire Department personnel responded to a home in the 2600 block of Traction Avenue in the Noralto neighborhood about 9:45 p.m. Sunday for a call about a person who had stopped breathing.

Once firefighters arrived, a hostile group of 7 to 10 people greeted them and prevented paramedics from getting into the apartment to render aid, according to a police activity log.

Firefighters helped an elderly woman to safety and put out a fire at her small Carmichael residential care home Thursday night.

The fire was reported about 7:30 p.m. in the 6300 block of Perrin Way. Arriving crews found a fire burning outside between the care home and a neighboring house.

Neighbors alerted most of the occupants of the care home of the fire, but firefighters were called upon to assist one elderly resident out of the house.

Firefighters serving Elk Grove and Galt were kept busy on the Fourth of July.

Cosumnes Fire Department firefigthers responded to a total of 15 fires between 9 p.m. and midnight Wednesday. The majority of the fires involved burning grass.

"This is what we fear on the Fourth," said Cosumnes Deputy Fire Chief John Michelini. "Multiple fires at the same time have units responding from fire-to-fire and that makes it difficult to keep anyone available for the next emergency."

A home in an Antelope neighborhood was damaged this evening by a fire that began on the first floor and spread into the attic.

Assistant Chief Walt White of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said firefighters were dispatched at 7:24 p.m. to a home in the 8500 block of Crystal Ridge Way, in an area east of Watt Avenue and north of Elverta Road. They arrived to find heavy smoke coming from a two-story home.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire in about 11 minutes. Although the cause has not been determined, White said a clothes dryer was a possible source.

No other structures were threatened.

Photo courtesy Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District

Bee reporters answer questions about area crime news, trends and other issues.

QUESTION: Do you know any details regarding a car accident where Lisa Newman was killed? She was attending Del Campo High School at the time and this was probably the late '90s.
Submitted by: CJ, Sacramento

ANSWER: Lisa Jane Newman, a 16-year-old Del Campo High School student and Carmichael resident, was killed in February 1999 when the car she was driving was hit broadside in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 near Watt Avenue.

Placer, Yuba and Nevada county residents should not worry if they see raging orange flames and plumes of smoke today as a prescribed burn that started at 10 a.m. continues through the evening.

The burn is occurring underneath the Middle Fork American River Canyon bridge, about a mile northeast of Auburn. The Lake Clementine Trail is also closed as part of the burn.

Smoke will be visible from Interstate 80, Highway 49, Auburn, Foresthill and the surrounding areas, according to Cal Fire.

A suspension on residential burn permits in Placer, Sierra, Nevada and Yuba counties will become effective July 2 as summer heat grows stronger, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Once the suspension is effective, Cal Fire will deem any fire or smoke that's reported as a wildfire and will treat it with a full suppression response. Anyone who breaks the suspension will be subjected to "appropriate" civil or criminal action and could become responsible for paying the cost of the fire suppression response, according to Cal Fire.

The suspension happens annually at the beginning of July.

By David Ruiz

druiz@sacbee.com

Local law and fire departments today reminded Sacramento county residents about the "Zero Tolerance" policy against the purchase, sale, use and possession of illegal fireworks.

At a press conference, State fire marshal Tonya Hoover said violators of the policy will be prosecuted and held accountable for the cost of any fire damage caused by illegal fireworks. "We want everyone to be safe and responsible," she said.

The easiest way to prevent fireworks-related fires, Hoover said, is to buy only "Safe and Sane" fireworks -- those that display the state fire marshal seal of approval on the packaging. Fireworks that explode, leave the ground, or move around the ground uncontrollably are always considered illegal by the state fire marshal.

Fireworks went on sale June 28 and will continue until July 6 at noon.

Firefighters plan to break up smoldering hay in a field near Rancho Seco Park.

A Cal Fire spokeswoman said the fire was reported about 7:20 p.m. Thursday near Clay East Road and Twin Cities Road.

Today, Cal Fire plans to use a bulldozer to scrape a larger fire line around the charred hay piles. The grass between the fire line and the hay will then be burned off.

After that, the dozer will break up the hay. Separating the hay will lessen the amount of time the hay sends up smoke in south Sacramento County, the Cal Fire spokeswoman said.

The bigger fire break is necessary to prevent sparks from igniting dry grass during the breaking up of the hay.

A fire caused heavy damage to a cleaning services company in South Sacramento last night.

The blaze was first reported as a roof fire about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday on Otto Circle. When crews arrived at the scene, they saw an industrial building for the Dust-Tex business well-involved in flames. Crews could feel the heat radiating from the building as they began to fight the fire, a fire official said.

Two hoses were trained on the building from atop aerial ladders to put out the blaze.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced that burn permits in areas within its jurisdiction in Amador County and the western slope of El Dorado County will be suspended July 2.

That leaves property owners with a little more than a week to burn residential debris piles on permissive burn days.

If it is unsafe to burn because of outdoor temperature, wind, terrain or other factors, fire officials advise waiting until winter to complete burning activities.

Fire swept through a home in the Empire Ranch neighborhood of Folsom Wednesday morning, causing heavy damage to the structure.

When firefighters arrived at the two-story house in the 1700 block of Dornie Circle, flames were present on both levels of the home. Fire had also entered the attic.

Firefighters from the Folsom, El Dorado Hills and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District responded to the two-alarm fire. Firefighters prevented the spread of the fire to adjacent houses.

Cause of the fire, which was contained in about an hour, has not been determined. The house sustained about $350,000 in damage.

PHOTO CAPTION: Firefighters fight a blaze in the 1700 block of Dornie Circle. Folsom Fire Department

A tractor trailer caught fire this morning on Highway 65 near Lincoln.

All northbound lanes were reported blocked about 8 a.m. but one lane had re-opened about 45 minutes later, according to a California Highway Patrol website. The fire has been extinguished.

The CHP estimates that all lanes will be open at 10:30 a.m.

A CHP spokesman said the truck was carrying a load of wood chips. No collision occurred.

The wildland fire that burned a barn and threatened homes on Monday in Wilton started from a welding spark.

"A local rancher was welding a fence line to protect his vegetable garden when a spark from the welding caused a wildland fire," said Capt. Doug Ferro of the Amador-El Dorado Unit of Cal Fire.

Ferro, a fire investigator, said the rancher did all he could to suppress the blaze, but winds and tinder-dry vegetation caused the fire to quickly spread.

Before the 5 p.m. fire was contained more than two hours later, 46 acres had burned.

The Sacramento Fire Department responded to a grassfire south of the airport this afternoon.

Around 3 p.m. a strike team attacked a grassfire on private property by the intersection of Power Line Road and Del Paso Road, according to a spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department.

Working against the hot, dry conditions and winds, firefighters were able to contain the damage to 25 acres, the spokesperson said. The fire did not threaten buildings or people, and the cause is unknown.

By 4:15 p.m. fire crews were working to "mop up" -- drench the remaining hot areas in the field - to ensure that flames would not reignite, according to the spokesperson.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters were kept busy Sunday -- a day when the mercury hit 100 degrees.

At 10:24 a.m. crews responded to 8294 White Sands Way to find heavy fire and smoke coming from the garage of a home. Inside the garage, two vintage automobiles were on fire.

Crews were able to limit the spread of fire into the home. Firefighters located the resident of the home, who suffered minor burns and respiratory problems.

Sacramento Metro Fire reports that it is now on the scene of a fire at Florin Road and Gardner Avenue.

The blaze is described as a roof fire in an old meeting hall.

No injuries have been reported and the fire is only a single alarm.

Firefighters have contained a grass that burned approximately 105 acres near Lincoln.

Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said the fire near Watz and North Dowd roads in the area of the Highway 65 bypass was reported about 5:30 p.m.

He said there are a number of ranches in the area.

Firefighters from Cal Fire and Butte County Fire have contained a 100-acre blaze in Butte County. One outbuilding was destroyed.

The fire, near Highway 70 and Palermo Road, started about 2 p.m. and was fueled by winds from the northeast and low humidity, said Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant.

Berlant said aircraft dropped fire retardant and water on the fire, which was contained by approximately 4:30 p.m.

Berlant advised homeowners to be especially cautious this weekend.

"With these kinds of conditions, a fire can quickly grow out of control," he said.

A vacant Sacramento Metropolitan firehouse in Orangevale will be the home of a new fire crew of military veterans hired by the Bureau of Land Management.

The BLM is leasing the station at 5148 Main Ave. as a duty station for a 20-person crew.

BLM firefighting official Paul Bannister said his agency is opening the station for two reasons.

Residents of six apartments in the Foothill Farms area have been displaced as the result of a fire late this afternoon.

Assistant Chief Scott Cockrum of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said the fire was reported at 5:30 p.m. at 4909 Date Ave. He said it appears the fire started in the rear deck area of a second-story unit and quickly extended along the deck and into the attic. Once in the attic, the fire spread in both directions.

Although most of the fire damage was confined to the attic area, Cockrum said it damaged electrical wiring and other utilities, leaving six second-story apartments uninhabitable. He said the Red Cross was responding to aid the displaced tenants.

The fire was brought under control within about 30 minutes and no injuries were reported.

A fire in south Placer County has been contained after burning 184 acres west of Roseville.

Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire was reported at 1:23 p.m., burning in a flat, undeveloped area of grasslands in the area of Fiddyment Road and Athens Avenue.

Thirteen fire engines, two water tenders and a bulldozer responded to the scene. Berlant said Cal Fire and the South Placer County firefighters were assisted by firefighters from Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln.

Although the cause of the fire has not been determined, he said this is a reminder to residents to use caution in outdoor activities, especially given the forecast for strong winds and temperatures in the 100-degree range this weekend.

Sacramento fire officials say a man injured this morning in a fire at a Natomas apartment complex has died.

The fire broke out about 10 a.m. in a complex in the 1500 block of Waterwheel Drive near West El Camino Avenue and Truxel Road. Flames shot from the roof of the apartments as firefighters poured water on the units.

The man who was burned was transported to a hospital where he died. His name has not been released.

Fire officials said a dog found in an apartment was resuscitated.

The cause of the fire has not been released.

Photo caption: Firefighters work at the scene of a three-alarm fire near Truxel Road and Waterwheel Drive in Sacramento Thursday morning. Photo by Randy Pench / rpench@sacbee.com

Video caption:Deputy Fire Chief Lloyd Ogan talks to the media about the fire and it's victims. Video by Randy Pench / rpench@sacbee.com

Video by Sacramento Fire

The federal Bureau of Land Management announced today that fire restrictions are in effect for all public lands managed by the bureau's Mother Lode Field Office.

Included are approximately 230,000 acres of BLM-managed lands in Nevada, Yuba, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Sacramento, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Sutter and Mariposa counties. Campers are urged to familiarize themselves with special restrictions before visiting public lands in these counties.

The restrictions prohibit all open fires on public lands because of extremely dry conditions, according to a news release.

By Max Ehrenfreund
mehrenfreund@sacbee.com

Article Salon and Spa and Z Gallerie at The Fountains in Roseville are closed today after a fire damaged both businesses Thursday night. Roseville Fire Department assistant chief Jeff Carman said the fire was apparently electrical in origin.

When the fire started in the spa, the building's sprinklers turned on, stopping the spread of the fire. Fire department crews arrived about 12:30 a.m., forced entry into the building, and extinguished the fire.

Carman said fire damage was minimal because of the sprinklers, but the damage from smoke and water was more extensive. He estimated the damage to the spa at $25,000. Darcy Phipps, assistant manager at Article, said she was not sure when the spa would reopen.

Carman said smoke had damaged furniture at Z Gallerie, but he was unable to estimate the value of the damage. A manager there said she was not permitted to discuss the fire publicly.

Redding police said a son became so upset with his mother that he tried to set her on fire.

Nita Jimenez, 50, of Redding was looking for misplaced shoes in her home Wednesday night. She entered the room of her son, Kendal Gill, 20, to find them.

That angered Gill, according to police. He allegedly choked and beat his mother, police said.

Fire officials urge property owners to use caution when engaged in activities such as clearing defensible space and burning debris piles.

Every spring, fire agencies remind homeowners of the importance of clearing dead grass and brush 100 feet from homes to prepare for the fire season, but how they clear this space is equally important to preventing fires, according to a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection news release.

The spark from a metal lawn mower blade against a rock can easily ignite a wildfire.

By Brad Branan
bbranan@sacbee.com

A two-alarm fire this evening displaced 10 families in a Citrus Heights apartment complex.

No one was injured but the blaze caused significant damage to 10 units in the Edgewater Apartments on Sunrise Vista Drive, said Assistant Chief Scott Cockrum of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department.

The department arrived about 7 p.m. and had the fire put out in about 30 minutes, he said. A creek running behind the complex prevented the department from accessing the rear part of the building, where the fire started, he said.

A fire believed to have started in a wood shake roof caused damage estimated at $400,000 to a Folsom home Thursday.

The Folsom Fire Department responded to a fire at 103 Cedar Ridge Court at 4:28 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they found the house engulfed in flames. A second alarm was requested, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department responded to assist.

Based on witnesses' statements, it appears the fire began in the wood shake roof of the two-story home, officials said. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.

Two people taken into custody in Bakersfield are now believed to be the only suspects in the death of Stephen Sieck, 60, whose body was found May 20 in his burned apartment in the Arden Arcade area.

In announcing the arrests of Stacey Perryman, 43, and Bryan Denton, 49, Sacramento County sheriff's officials Wednesday said they also were trying to identify a third person, a woman shown in a surveillance photo who was believed to have been with Perryman at a Shell gas station at Elk Grove Boulevard and Auto Center Drive about 1:30 p.m. May 19.

Sheriff's officials said Thursday that further investigation has determined that the woman is not involved or associated with Perryman, and detectives are not trying to identify or speak with her.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department announced today that two people have been arrested in connection with the death of a man whose body was found 10 days ago in his burned apartment in the Arden Arcade area.

Stacey Perryman (left photo), 43, and Bryan Denton (center photo), 49, were taken into custody about 5 p.m. Friday at a hotel in Bakersfield. Both were booked on suspicion of murder and are being held without bail, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Shortly after 5 p.m. May 20, sheriff's deputies responded to a burned apartment in the 200 block of Selby Ranch Road. Stephen Sieck, 60, was found dead inside the apartment, and investigators determined that his vehicle was missing. The vehicle was located in Kern County on May 23.

Firefighters have contained a fire in the attic of the VA Dental Clinic at McClellan Park.

Assistant Chief Walt White of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said the clinic staff had experienced problems with a light ballast earlier in the day. Firefighters were called to the clinic at 5401 Arnold Ave. at 6:04 p.m. and discovered a fire in the attic. White said the fire resulted from some type of electrical problem and probably had been smoldering for a while.

He said crews remain on scene doing overhaul work, including removing ceiling tile to make sure the fire has been extinguished.

Three people, including and a husband and wife from Elk Grove, have been arrested in connection with arson at a Lodi market in October.

Following a joint investigation by the Lodi Police and Fire departments, arrest warrants were issued for Prem Basuta, 47, and his wife, Kulwinder "Kelly" Basuta, 48, of Elk Grove, and brother Gurmail "Gary" Singh, 55, of Lodi. They are suspected of being responsible for a fire that damaged Salisbury's Market at 2401 W.Turner Road on Oct. 15, 2011, according to a Lodi Police Department news release.

The Basutas and Singh turned themselves in to the San Joaquin County Superior Court on Wednesday, officials said. They are to appear in court June 12 to answer to charges that include insurance fraud, attempted grand theft and arson.

The 2012 "fire season" will officially begin at 8 a.m. Monday, and fire officials urge residents, especially those living or recreating in rural areas, to use caution as the state enters a period of increased risk for wildfires.

The state's final snow survey May 1 found the statewide snowpack water content is only 40 percent of normal. From January though April, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection crews responded to more than 800 wildfires, nearly two and a half times the approximately 300 the agency responded to during the same period in 2011. This year's number also exceeds the five-year average of more than 600 wildfires for January through April, said Terri Mizuhara, spokeswoman for Cal Fire's Amador-El Dorado Unit.

So far this this month, she said, Cal Fire crews have responded to numerous small fires. Several in Amador and El Dorado counties have been escaped debris fires, Mizuhara said.

Sacramento County sheriff's deputies are continuing their search today for two vehicles associated with the discovery of man's body after a fire in an Arden-Arcade apartment Sunday.

They also seek to narrow the time frame for when 60-year-old Stephen Sieck was killed, authorities said.

Sieck was found dead Sunday afternoon after firefighters arrived to extinguish a blaze at his Shelby Ranch Road apartment. Authorities initially described his death as suspicious but later classified it as a homicide.

A judge today sentenced an Oak Park man who blew up his next door neighbor's house and nearly killed four firefighters to 17 years in prison.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Marjorie Koller said Robert William Durst's "vile act" stamped him as a "serious danger to society." She further characterized the 46-year-old defendant's suggestion to investigators that the four firefighters were responsible for their own injuries as "despicable."

Jurors last month found Durst guilty of arson for the 9:47 a.m. blast on July 5, 2010, that injured the firefighters who were responding to a report of a heavy gas leak on 25th Avenue. They also convicted him of two theft-related charges on items stolen from the house he destroyed, as well as being an ex-con in possession of a firearm.

By Matt Weiser
mweiser@sacbee.com

Police and fire officials are jointly investigating a suspicious death that occurred Sunday in connection with an apartment fire in Sacramento's Arden neighborhood.

The incident began at about 5 p.m. Sunday when Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District units were called to a fire at the Selby Ranch Apartments near the intersection of Watt Avenue and American River Drive. Upon arrival, they found that the fire had already extinguished itself, and the damage was limited to a single apartment.

But in that apartment, they found the burned body of a male adult.

"There is no obvious cause of the fire, and it's unknown whether or not this person died as a result of the fire or by some other means," said Sacramento County Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos.