Sacramento, California Local News
Pilots scramble to save planes at Placerville Airport threatened by Pay Fire, airport remains closed
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Cal Fire has stopped the growth of the Pay Fire, but crews are still working to clean up the hillside and prevent any lingering hot spots.During the fire, pilots headed to Placerville Airport to save their planes. (Previous coverage in video player above)”We were still trying to figure out how to get the planes out,” said James Johnson. “The power had been shut off, so we couldn’t get the doors open.”Johnson, a retired volunteer firefighter, knew what to do when word and flames spread.The Pay Fire was threatening the airport.”We knew the downhill slope can be hazardous for wildfires,” he said. Half a dozen hangars were still on the top of the hillside, where flames burned all around the airport and runway. The runway was not damaged. | MORE | Pay Fire: El Dorado County wildfire causes damage at Placerville Airport, forward progress stoppedIn the hangar where Johnson stored his plane, the basement caught fire.”I opened up the door to vent the smoke, that’s when a Cal Fire crew came by and dropped a hose. I jumped on that and sprayed water in there to decrease the temperature,” he said.Cal Fire crews also spent Sunday working on the hillsides, hosing down the charred terrain, cleaning up and putting out and preventing any lingering hot spots.The fire traveled up the hillside and flames burned close to one home on Duden Road. Flames singed the siding but firefighters stopped it from burning the home and many others.”This was ground zero right here,” said Jared Noceti. The fire burned close to his home and planes dropped fire retardant on it. “I got a pink house,” he said. “I’ll take a pink house still standing. These guys did a great job.”| MORE | Royal Fire: Crews battle flames at Tahoe National Forest, evacuation warning issuedNoceti’s family was swimming near Kyburz when they heard the evacuation orders Saturday afternoon. He was in flip flops, his swim trunks still wet when he got home to pack up essentials and grab the dog.”I’m sitting here in the truck, getting ready to leave, and here comes the airplane that dropped all the retardant on the roof,” Noceti said. “It was quite the show and it was time to go.”They got out so firefighters could do the work to protect their homes, property and planes. “A couple minutes longer and the basement would have been fully involved and we would have had a collapse on the back,” said Johnson.The airport will remain closed for a few days.
Cal Fire has stopped the growth of the Pay Fire, but crews are still working to clean up the hillside and prevent any lingering hot spots.
During the fire, pilots headed to Placerville Airport to save their planes.
(Previous coverage in video player above)
“We were still trying to figure out how to get the planes out,” said James Johnson. “The power had been shut off, so we couldn’t get the doors open.”
Johnson, a retired volunteer firefighter, knew what to do when word and flames spread.
The Pay Fire was threatening the airport.
“We knew the downhill slope can be hazardous for wildfires,” he said.
Half a dozen hangars were still on the top of the hillside, where flames burned all around the airport and runway. The runway was not damaged.
| MORE | Pay Fire: El Dorado County wildfire causes damage at Placerville Airport, forward progress stopped
In the hangar where Johnson stored his plane, the basement caught fire.
“I opened up the door to vent the smoke, that’s when a Cal Fire crew came by and dropped a hose. I jumped on that and sprayed water in there to decrease the temperature,” he said.
Cal Fire crews also spent Sunday working on the hillsides, hosing down the charred terrain, cleaning up and putting out and preventing any lingering hot spots.
The fire traveled up the hillside and flames burned close to one home on Duden Road. Flames singed the siding but firefighters stopped it from burning the home and many others.
“This was ground zero right here,” said Jared Noceti.
The fire burned close to his home and planes dropped fire retardant on it.
“I got a pink house,” he said. “I’ll take a pink house still standing. These guys did a great job.”
| MORE | Royal Fire: Crews battle flames at Tahoe National Forest, evacuation warning issued
Noceti’s family was swimming near Kyburz when they heard the evacuation orders Saturday afternoon. He was in flip flops, his swim trunks still wet when he got home to pack up essentials and grab the dog.
“I’m sitting here in the truck, getting ready to leave, and here comes the airplane that dropped all the retardant on the roof,” Noceti said. “It was quite the show and it was time to go.”
They got out so firefighters could do the work to protect their homes, property and planes.
“A couple minutes longer and the basement would have been fully involved and we would have had a collapse on the back,” said Johnson.
The airport will remain closed for a few days.
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