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Assistant fire chief reports Bagby Rec fire held at about 23.3 acres; training burns, staffing increases planned
Summary
Assistant Chief Cole Pere told the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors the Bagby Rec-area fire was contained to about 23.3 acres overnight, highlighted a 16,144-acre Waltz incident, and outlined upcoming training burns, staffing increases and a new 1,000-gallon helicopter asset.
Assistant Chief Cole Pere of County Fire told the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors on June 9 that a fire near the Bagby Recreation area was held to roughly 23.3 acres overnight.
"The Bagby Rec area, the fire is currently 23.3 acres," Pere said, and credited night water drops and crews for limiting growth. He said crews recorded “about 3 acres of growth” overnight and that challenging terrain and low humidity had influenced the response.
Pere also summarized recent larger incidents, saying the Waltz fire burned about 16,144 acres in remote terrain without rural structure threats but with impacts to rangeland and cattle feed. He said mutual-aid partners from neighboring counties and federal cooperators helped with both events.
Looking ahead, Pere described training and mitigation work planned for the month: a three-day firing-class for captains and officers that aims to burn about 50 acres during training, and additional 30-acre prescribed burns tied to community events. He noted the unit’s new EU helicopter, online June 1, has provided a critical 1,000-gallon water source close to incident lines.
On staffing, Pere said the unit will reach peak summer coverage mid-June with 18 engines and additional dozer support; on July 1 the unit will bring 15 permanent firefighter positions onto a 66-hour schedule across multiple stations. He also announced a new deputy chief for wildfire resilience, Jacob Ching, who will take a resource-management and prevention role.
Why it matters: County emergency planners and residents in wildfire-prone areas depend on early-season staffing, cross-jurisdictional coordination and both aerial and ground resources to limit fire growth. Pere urged continued public education about how aircraft and ground crews work together and said the county will follow up with timelines and outreach about planned mitigation work.
The board asked for a high-level public document explaining how the county and partner agencies coordinate emergency fire and medical response across remote communities; Pere agreed to provide follow-up details and to coordinate a Q&A with partner agencies.
