CALAVERAS COUNTY – Firefighters from various agencies in the region rushed toward Valley Springs Tuesday afternoon to aid in the battle against a fast moving fire.
The fire was dispatched shortly before 5:00pm near the area of Hogan Dam and Walker Trail Roads. Weather conditions quickly escalated fire activity, with the fire growing to 300 acres within the hour, then pushing to 1000 acres by sundown.
The battle raged from the air, as helicopters and airplanes made pass after pass in a rush attempt to slow the fire. By sundown they had to be called off.
More engines and bulldozer operators responded to assist, as one head of the fire pushed over a hill to the west. Within less than an hour, flames overtook the hill.
Three hundred firefighters were prepared to continue their work into the night, with the incident at zero percent containment. This according to Cal Fire spokeswoman Emily Kilgore.
So far, no information regarding cause or origin of the fire was available Tuesday night.