Ore Fire

Friend Keith Berry and his bride had a few tense moments yesterday afternoon when the Ore Fire in El Dorado County threatened the area around their south-county home.

At about 4 p.m., the driver of a pick-up truck, who was southbound from El Dorado on State Route 49, hit a motorcyclist near the What About Bobs convenience store. After killing the driver of the motorcycle, the pick-up driver fled the scene, south toward the Amador County line.

"According to law enforcement and fire personnel, the truck lost a tire in the accident," said the Sacramento Bee news story, "and the driver fled the scene south on Highway 49, with sparks from the metal rim igniting about 12 grass fires along both sides of the roadway."

Law enforcement authorities apprehended Tamara Wilson at the El Dorado/Amador County line. Television news reports indicated that she would be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

I called Keith around 6 p.m. after learning of the incident on the NorCalFire Yahoo Group. Thankfully, Keith said that they weren't evacuated. He added that all evacuations seemed to be occurring on the east side of Highway 49.

The wind was in their favor, Keith added. The light wind was blowing from the east early in the evening. News 10 had it at 7 miles-per-hour from the northwest around 6:30 p.m.

Helicopters interrupted our conversation every five minutes as they filled their water buckets in a nearby pond.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responded quickly to quench the blaze. Firefighters were able to contain the fire at approximately 40 acres.

However, two homes and two out buildings were destroyed in the fire.