Alleghany Faces Dual Fire Threats: House Fire and Wildland Blaze Contained

ALLEGHANY — On the morning of April 17th, the US Forest Service dispatched a unit to inspect the Pliocene Ridge area following lightning strikes earlier in the week. Around 11 AM, while on Pliocene Ridge Road above Alleghany, the unit spotted a fire below and reported it.

At the same time, an Alleghany resident, who had just checked on a friend’s residence on Mammoth Springs Road, also alerted authorities to the blaze. Downieville Dispatch notified fire departments at 11:05 AM.

Alleghany firefighters, alongside Sierra County Road Crew members Ned Cusato, Christian Gersmehl, and Road Supervisor Kevin Marshall, were grading Magnus Orchard Road when the Pike and Alleghany Fire Departments received the call to respond. They immediately abandoned their work and sped to Alleghany. By 11:25 AM, they deployed Engine 7180 and Water Tender 67. Upon arriving at the scene at 11:30 AM, they found the house on Mammoth Springs Road fully engulfed in flames, with an adjacent wildland fire advancing uphill toward Hell’s Half Acre Road and the town’s water storage tank. The team drove up Hell’s Half Acre Road and, through swift efforts—including “Kevin Marshall running down the hill with a hose pack”—contained the fire at the road, effectively protecting the water tank and preventing a more extensive blaze.

Additional agencies soon arrived, including Cal Fire, Camptonville Fire Department, Downieville Fire Department, North San Juan Fire Department, and the US Forest Service. The Forest Service assumed command of the wildland fire and contained it rapidly. By 4 PM, the fire was thoroughly extinguished. The Alleghany Fire Department enlisted Cal Fire’s help with the structure mop-up and monitored the site of the burned house through Sunday, April 20th. Personnel from Cal Fire and the Forest Service returned Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to assist with further mop-up efforts. The property was released to its owner on Monday, April 21st, at 11:30 AM.

The fire’s cause remains under investigation. No one was home when it began, and it ultimately consumed approximately 1.5 acres. The residents of Alleghany extend sincere thanks to the firefighters and agencies who aided them during the emergency.

On Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, around 2 PM, Alleghany residents observed smoke rising near the site of the April 17th house fire. A member of the Alleghany Fire Department, stationed at the earlier scene, was present when Downieville Fire Dispatch announced a new fire. After a search, responders located a wildland fire several hundred yards uphill from the house fire site, burning across steep terrain. Spreading slowly, it covered an estimated one-quarter acre. Camptonville Fire Department, the US Forest Service, and Cal Fire responded. Air support circled overhead, and the crew determined that ground teams were successfully containing the fire. Alleghany’s Engine 7180, crewed by two firefighters, remained on scene throughout most of the incident. The cause of the second fire is still undetermined.