Scott Hamelberg:
A lightning strike Saturday, June 21, damaged some electrical components at the Coleman National Fish Hatchery in Anderson, Calif.,  and touched off a large fire just to the north east of the hatchery. The fire traveled to the south west and burned Bureau of Land Management  and privately-owned land on the northside of fish hatchery road.  Anderson, Cottonwood, and Happy Valley Fire Districts responded to the fire as well as CAL Fire. Seven hatchery personnel and Ryan Fogerty from the CA/NV Fish Health Center were on station from about 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.,  positioned on the southside of the road in case embers and or fire jumped the road and ignited on the hatchery grounds. Ultimately, fire crews used a bulldozer to cut a fire break to the west and back fires were started to hold the southern boundary. No fire broke out on hatchery property and no station structures were damaged. The size of the fire was estimated at 150 to 250 acres.

Trica Parker from the Red Bluff FWO was also on the scene and was extremely helpful in coordinating with the Anderson Fire District and CAL Fire incident commands (IC). Tricia ran shuttles to pick-up additional fire hose from the Cottonwood Fire Station, shuttled fire personnel, and as requested by the IC, brought  food  and beverages back to all the fire crews working to contain the blaze.

Fire crews remained on-scene all night and were completing mop up into Sunday afternoon. Ryan Fogerty came to the fire site on Sunday and provided a status update.