Cal Fire Searching Near Cobb Shed For What Started Valley Fire

COBB (CBS13) — As firefighters continue to gain the upper hand against the devastating Valley Fire, investigators are probing where the fire began to find a cause.

Cal Fire investigators have narrowed their focus on what started the deadly Valley Fire on a burned-out shed on a property on High Valley Road in rural Cobb.

"It just started as a small little puff of smoke, and next thing you know, [it] looked like the big old devil was up in the sky," said Ken Gregory.

He and his friend John Wilcox were loading up to fill generators on Tuesday, three days after they saw fire at its start.

"Just a little yard fire looked like to me, maybe something a little out of control, but man when it's fanned by those winds—those flames—it's just an inferno," Wilcox said. "And I came back about two hours later and the mountain was on fire."

Gregory drove his water truck in to bring water to firefighters, but by then, it was already too late.

Cal Fire wouldn't discuss the specifics on how the fire may have started, saying only it remains under investigation. They also would only say the fire started near the intersection of High Valley and Bottle Rock roads, despite the apparent focus on the shed.

"It was breezy that Saturday morning, and it caught fire and blew right up the creek," Wilcox said.