Mariposa County Fire to return engine to Jerseydale station

Mariposa County Fire plans to place a fire engine at the U.S. Forest Service station on Jerseydale Road, returning an engine to the site and expanding fire response resources in the Jerseydale area.

The county has received approval from the U.S. Forest Service to station Engine 429 at 6440 Jerseydale Road. The engine is a 2002 Ford Type 6 apparatus equipped with a 100-gallon-per-minute pump and a 300-gallon water tank.

County officials are targeting Oct. 1 for the engine to be in place.

The Jerseydale station is operated by the U.S. Forest Service. A Forest Service engine had previously been located at the station but was later removed.

The current arrangement between the county and the Forest Service is informal. Both agencies will need to work together on a future agreement to formalize the placement of the engine at the station.

The move follows an Insurance Services Office evaluation earlier this year that reviewed the availability and distribution of fire department resources in the area. ISO, an independent organization that evaluates fire protection capabilities for the insurance industry, raised concerns about fire protection resources in the Jerseydale and Mt. Bullion areas.

Those evaluations can factor into how insurance companies assess fire risk and set premiums. The county is providing ISO with updated information about its fire stations and apparatuses, including the planned placement of Engine 429 at the Jerseydale station.

County officials said the placement is part of an ongoing effort to strategically locate fire equipment throughout Mariposa County and maintain response capabilities. More information is available from the Mariposa County Fire Department at 209-966-4330 or at mariposacounty.gov/76/Fire-Department.