By Roger Lanse

The Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire Department was paged out on Saturday, May 23, 2020, to two reported fires in its district; one at 7:50 a.m. for smoke sighted on LS Mesa, and the other at 8:18 a.m. for a possible fire near Signal Peak. Public Information Officer Jennifer Olson told the Beat that firefighters and equipment rolled to both locations from the LS Mesa, Wagon Wheel, and Cottage San substations and the PAVFD station.

Fire personnel searched up Bear Mountain Road, Christian Canyon and Avery Ranch in the LS Mesa area, and Highway 15 and Meadow Creek Road in the Signal Peak area but could not locate any smoke or fire. Olson said the U.S. Forest service lookout on Signal Peak did not report seeing any smoke or fire.

Approximately 15 people responded to or monitored the two fires, and five vehicles were dispatched, according to Olson. The reported fires were cleared at 9:46 a.m. She stated it was not unusual to be paged out on a fire call and not locate any fires.

[Editor's Note: Sounds like someone should not waste volunteers' time, equipment and effort by falsely reporting fires that do not exist.]