Fire spreads to second structure at Bucks Lake UPDATED
At roughly 12:30 p.m. today, firefighters responded to a report of a fully engulfed structure just past Bucks Lake. The address was reported as being on Bucks Lake Road and Big Creek Road, alternately. (It was on Bucks Lake Road.)
Bucks Lake, Meadow Valley, Quincy, Crescent Mills and Greenville fire departments have all sent engines to the incident. (Though the Indian Valley departments were originally paged, they were later contacted and told that fire personnel on the scene could handle the incident.)
At 1 p.m. Forest Service personnel on scene reported that the fire had spread to a second structure.
UPDATE: During an interview this evening, Meadow Valley Fire Chief Ron Heinbockel said that when his personnel arrived on the scene at Grubbs Cow Camp, the original structure (a workshop) that had been called in, had burned to the ground, but crews were able to quickly put out the fire that had spread to the second structure – a cabin. Heinbockel said that owner Jay Grubbs was on scene and was able to use his backhoe to help with the mop up, which took about three hours.
There were a couple of challenges in fighting today’s fire: icy roads and the inability to communicate from the area. Ultimately, the water tenders were able to respond via Big Creek Road, while the engines and other personnel used Bucks Lake Road. Heinbockel said there were 12 firefighters from Meadow Valley and three from Quincy Fire, as well as personnel from the Forest Service.
Heinbockel said that he would be discussing the communication issue with the sheriff’s office as information couldn’t be shared directly from the scene and had to be relayed.
Heinbockel said the fire is believed to have started in a woodstove in the shop.
