[Update: Final Acreage .26] Vegetation Fire Reported Near Tooby Ranch Road; Crews Find Quarter-Acre Grass Fire

A vegetation fire was reported around 12:30 p.m. Thursday near Tooby Ranch Road, east of Garberville, prompting a response from multiple agencies before crews located the fire using AlertCalifornia cameras and scaled back to a manageable contingent.

Garberville Fire, Redway VFD, Eel River Crew 3 and Cal Fire initially responded but were unable to locate the fire, described as smoke seen near the intersection of Tooby Ranch Road and Flat Rock Road. The single report of smoke proved difficult to pin down, with a later update placing the fire near upper Tooby Ranch Road closest to Alderpoint Road.

AlertCalifornia cameras eventually helped crews spot the fire, with smoke visible on the Pratt Mountain 2 camera. Best access was reported via Sprowel Creek Road west of Highway 101, under the freeway and up toward the Tooby Ranch subdivision. Road conditions were described as rough, with no access for Type 1 engines.

Cal Fire unit 1251 arrived first on scene around 40 minutes after the initial call, reporting a quarter-acre fire in grass with a slow rate of spread. The incident commander ordered one engine, Eel River Crew 3, and one four-wheel-drive water tender to continue. Remaining units were cancelled.

The water tender was later cancelled as well after the incident commander reported a nearby pond available as a water source.

This is a preliminary report. Details may change as more information becomes available.

Update 1:34 p.m.: According to radio traffic, forward progress on the Tooby Fire has been stopped. A hose lay has been laid around the perimeter of the fire. The incident commander estimates a 2-hour commitment time for mop-up operations.

Update: Final acreage on the Tooby Fire is .26 acres.

Screenshot of the Pratt Mtn 2 camera on the AlertCalifornia system that helped dispatch pinpoint the location of a vegetation fire reported by a 911 caller “three ridges over”