As the mercury soared into triple-digits Saturday afternoon, firefighters from the Susanville Fire Department were called on to battle a brush fire which consumed two-tenths of an acre near the Hall of Justice on Riverside Drive.
At around 1:30p.m., Truck One from the SFD, was leaving the Sierra Center parking lot at 2900 Main Street when the crew noticed a large column of black smoke coming from the area between the Hall of Justice and the Susan River.
Truck One responded and contacted Susanville Interagency Fire Center dispatch who advised they were dispatching a wildland response to Riverside Drive.
“Truck One arrived on scene prior to the dispatch to find brush and grass burning in the vacant field next to the Courthouse, burning towards the Courthouse,” explains SFD Fire Captain Dale Johnson.
“Truck One assumed command and deployed a hose line along the right flank of the fire protecting the Courthouse. CalFire E2261 arrived on scene and attacked the left flank of the fire using a mobile attack. Truck One and E2261 stopped the forward progress of the fire.”
SFD E628 and CalFire Devil’s Garden Crew 4 arrived on scene, secured the fire’s perimeter, and assisted with mop-up and complete extinguishment.
“Once the fire was extinguished, a fire-cause determination was conducted. Personnel could not determine a cause as all evidence was destroyed in the fire. However, the fire did consume a known homeless encampment.”
Even with temperatures reaching triple-digits Saturday afternoon there were no firefighter injuries. The Susanville Fire Department was supported by CalFire E2261 and Devil’s Garden Crew 4, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Susanville Police Department.
