Firefighters pounced on a large brush fire near San Andreas Friday, the latest in what threatens to become a dangerous fire season, according to Cal Fire.

The fire broke out after a debris burn got out of control and spread across 111 acres near the end of Murray Dale Lane.

About $22,000 worth of vegetation was destroyed across several property lines. No evacuations were necessary and no residents were injured. One firefighter did sustain a minor knee injury.

According to Cal Fire, this, and other recent brush fires, was the result of dry conditions in Calaveras County. According to Jim DeVoll, a Cal Fire dispatcher, the county is only at about 60 percent of the average rainfall this year.

The scant rainy season means that there is less grass to burn, but the available grass is much drier and therefore more hazardous.

Friday's fire took eight hours to contain. The fire was called in at 2 p.m. and contained by 10 p.m., but was not fully extinguished until 7 p.m. Sunday evening.

Responding firefighters included one air attack plane to coordinate retardant drops, four air tanker planes to drop retardant, two helicopters, 19 hand crews and 31 fire engines. Cal Fire also brought in four 2,000-gallon water trucks and two bulldozers. DeVoll estimated that about $100,000 in Cal Fire resources was used to extinguish the blaze as well as most of its available manpower

DeVoll said the best method to prevent these types of fires is to simply abide by burn permit rules. He said to keep the burn piles small, maintain a minimum 10-foot clearance around the pile and keep an eye on the pile while it's burning. Additionally, DeVoll said it is crucial to always have water on hand.

Cal Fire Capt. Mark Steward agreed that this fire season is shaping up to be a busy one. Steward said the above-average dry conditions are not normally seen this early in the year, but are typically expected in the later summer months. Steward advised people to be especially careful because of the dangerous fuel supply.

Steward recommended that residents make sure to clear around their homes. Even though it is good to clear dry grass and other fuels, he said not to use lawn mowers. If a lawn mower blade were to hit a rock, even that tiny spark could be enough to start a large brush fire with the current conditions. Steward said it is best to use weed eaters with a plastic trim line instead of a mower.

Another, smaller, brush fire was sparked from a mechanical failure in Valley Springs Friday. The motor of a Winnebago RV caused a one-acre fire near the intersection of Hogan Dam Road and Vista Del Lago about 8:45 p.m.

The fire was contained in about an hour and the last responding unit left at 1:15 a.m. Saturday.

There were no injuries in the fire. The RV was valued at about $15,000 and its contents at about $3,000. An estimated $200 worth of vegetation was also destroyed.

Another fire on Saturday destroyed a boat on Lake Camanche. The boat fire was reported at 3:47 p.m.

The fire was contained solely on the boat and no surrounding vegetation was destroyed. A cause of the fire has yet to be determined since the fire sunk the boat. There were no occupants at the time of the fire and no one was injured.

Contact Colin Rigley at crigley@calaverasenterprise.com.