Ore Fire

Keith Berry and his bride had a few tense moments yesterday afternoon when the Ore Fire in El Dorado County threatened the area around their south-county home.

At about 4 p.m., the driver of a pick-up truck, who was southbound from El Dorado on State Route 49, hit a motorcyclist near the What About Bobs convenience store. After killing the driver of the motorcycle, the pick-up driver fled the scene, south toward the Amador County line.

"According to law enforcement and fire personnel, the truck lost a tire in the accident," said the Sacramento Bee news story, "and the driver fled the scene south on Highway 49, with sparks from the metal rim igniting about 12 grass fires along both sides of the roadway."

Law enforcement authorities apprehended Tamara Wilson of El Dorado County at the El Dorado/Amador County line. Television news reports indicated that she would be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

I called Keith around 6 p.m. after learning of the incident on the NorCalFire Yahoo Group. Thankfully, Keith said that they weren't evacuated. He added that all evacuations seemed to be occurring on the east side of Highway 49.

The wind was in their favor, Keith added. The light wind was blowing from the east early in the evening. News 10 had it at 7 miles-per-hour from the northwest around 6:30 p.m.

Helicopters interrupted our conversation every five minutes as they filled their water buckets in a nearby pond.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responded quickly to quench the blaze. Firefighters were able to contain the fire at approximately 40 acres.

However, two homes and two out buildings were destroyed in the fire.

E Clampus Vitus Visitors to the Engine House

Today was another slow day at the engine house. (Do you get the idea that we have a lot of these?) Sam and Bill were busy in the machine shop. And I saw Dave at one point.

Eric and Ken did a few odd jobs around the engine house. I stayed indoors and finished the summer issue of The Dispatcher, the official newsletter of the El Dorado Western Railway.

About 30 E Clampus Vitus members toured the engine house this afternoon. Eric and I passed out copies of the spring newsletter and answered questions. Several guys expressed interest in the project. They came from chapters around Northern California and Nevada.

El Dorado Western T-shirt for Sale on eBay

One of last years white Diamond & Caldor Railway t-shirts has surfaced on eBay.com. Starting bid is $3.99 with the auction ending on July 20.

The seller is geographically close to the El Dorado Western Railway engine house. The shop is located in nearby Folsom, California. I suspect it's one of the Sutter Ave. businesses.

Although I don't personally know the seller, if he's successful, I may just take a box down there and have him sell more -- for a donation, of course.

It's Been Quiet

Hi all: I've been away at a children's camp, where I'm the chef for 165 campers and adults. Stop by http://roundthechuckbox.blogspot.com/ and see what it's all about.

I'm currently working on the Summer 2006 issue of the EDWRF newsletter, The Dispatcher. It should be in the mail next week. The newsletter is a benefit of membership in the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation. To join, see this blog from last May.

Keith Berry is out of town this week, but the Sacramento team should be at the engine house Saturday working on the Plymouth. I'll stop by Saturday and get a few reports and photographs together for the blog.