'Under These Conditions, That's Insane': Congressman Angry With Lack Of Initial Attack On Tamarack Fire
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Fierce flames and tough winds: Dramatic video from inside the fire lines shows how intense any wildfire can get.
When a fire starts small like the Tamarack Fire, people like Reno Bailey wonder why the flames were monitored rather than put out. The blaze was sparked by lightning back on the Fourth of July before and was monitored by fire officials before blowing up over the weekend.
Bailey captured a small plume of smoke before it erupted into what is now the Tamarack Fire
The lack of initial attack from the U.S. Forest Service has Congressman Tom McClintock fuming.
"Under these conditions, that's insane. Cal Fire's approach is to put the damn fire out as quickly as you can, don't let it get out of control," he said.
In some situations, the U.S. Forest Service says immediate suppression can be difficult due to tough terrain. Therefore, indirect containment lines are built away from the fire frontlines as part of the firefight.
With years of overgrowth across California, we asked the state if it intentionally lets its fires burn?
Brian Ferguson with the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) says state firefighters work to stop fires right when they start.
"The idea is we always want to put out fires faster before they get big," said Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for Cal OES. The Office of Emergency Services works closely with Cal Fire.
In situations where there is indirect access to the frontlines, Cal Fire says it works strategically to get ahead of the flames, commit resources to ridges, and build bigger containment lines while keeping flames away from people and structures.
"If we can move a fire away from people away from critical infrastructure," Ferguson added.
