Wildfire snuffed near West Point

A small white plume of smoke caught the attention of an eagle-eyed fire spotter posted in the Blue Mountain Lookout Monday afternoon. Units were dispatched to the scene, near West Point, well before the first 911 call came in.

“We caught this fire pretty early. No residences were lost. We did lose five outbuildings,” said fire Capt. Mark Steward of Cal Fire. The fire consumed 50 acres of brush and pine forest and was fought with both air and ground resources.

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The cause of the fire is under investigation. No injuries were reported. Cal Fire said it started near Smitty Road, off Winton Road, and that some residents were asked to evacuate for precautionary reasons.According to Steward, containment was achieved “...at around 10 p.m. We expect full control by 6 tonight.” The fire was contained quickly due to a massive assault from numerous agencies.“We had Cal Fire, U.S. Forest Service. Calaveras County sheriff, California Highway Patrol, West Point Fire, Central Fire, San Andreas Fire, Mokelumne Hill Fire, Jenny Lind Fire, Ebbetts Pass Fire, Altaville Melones Fire, Murphys Fire, Copperopolis Fire and the California Department of Corrections,” Steward said.

Cal Fire crews, along with two private water tenders, are continuing to work to control the fire. “There is no more threat,” Steward said. “We are in the mop up and control stages.”