Point Reyes Light - September 16, 2004
Cause of wildfire still a mystery
By Jacob Resneck
County firefighters still have been unable to determine the cause of last week’s wildfire along the Marshall-Petaluma Road.
The fire burned 360 acres of timber and pasture land on the Dolcini Ranch. No structures burned.
County Fire Marshall Scott Alber told The Light this week, "We can’t rule anything out," noting that the fire began at the roadside a mile from the Gambonini Ranch and the turnoff to Soulajule Reservoir.
"It could have been from a cigarette, though I couldn’t find one, or it could’ve been an old truck chucking a piece of hot metal. It could even be arson. As I said, we can’t rule anything out."
The cause may never be know, Alber added. "At this point we’re saying the investigation is suspended unless any further information comes to light."
The fire broke out around 5 p.m. Sept. 7 when many of this county’s firefighters were helping Sonoma County firefighters control a massive fire at the Geysers near Alexander Valley.
Northwestern winds and difficult terrain frustrated early attempts to control the Chileno Valley blaze. More than four aircraft dropped water and retardant on the blaze.
By Tuesday night one flank of the fire was contained although the fire jumped a wall of retardant that was supposed to act as a firebreak. On Wednesday, firefighters used a control burn to stop the fire from spreading out; however, the wildfire was not completely contained until Thursday.
Approximately 250 firefighters from every fire department in Marin County, the California Department of Forestry, the US Forest Service, and others fought the blaze.