Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames. “Engine 82 handled it and there was no property value lost, no threat to surrounding structures.” Damage, Fildes noted, was limited to the palm tree and the electrical line that failed.
|
Santa Paula Firefighters hand the hose over the fence to other firefighters trying to put out a Palm Tree fire. Santa Paula firefighters started the New Year with the Friday evening electrical fire (photo by Don Johnson). |
Tree fire quickly put out
January 07, 2009
Palm tree set afire by arcing electrical line quickly extinguished
Santa Paula News
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula TimesSanta Paula firefighters started the New Year with a Friday evening electrical fire, which was initially reported as a structure fire but turned out to be the cause of setting a West Harvard Boulevard sidewalk palm tree ablaze. The fire, said Santa Paula Fired Department Assistant Chief Kevin Fildes, was quickly extinguished.The SPFD received a report of a structure fire at 730 W. Harvard Blvd. at about 9 p.m. on January 2, but upon arrival found only a sidewalk palm tree and some ground material - located outside OK Liquor - was burning. “Basically, the fire just burned the palm tree, although it created a small fire on the ground as well from dropping embers” from the arcing electrical line that Fildes said was the cause of the blaze.
