Wheeler Springs : Fire Guts Residence of Caretaker at Dam
A fire caused by a freak accident gutted the caretaker’s house at Matilija Dam in the foothills near Wheeler Springs on Friday, authorities said.
Dam tender Donald James Logsdon was using a saw about 10:30 a.m. to cut through concrete when he hit a pipe that connects a propane tank to his house, said Denis Miller, a dispatcher for the Ventura County Fire Department. The saw sparked a fire that traveled up the pipe and into the house, Miller said. Logsdon was not injured, Miller said, but the blaze caused $100,000 in structural damage and destroyed $30,000 in contents.
The house is owned by the Casitas Municipal Water District, which leases the dam from Ventura County and runs it, said Richard Hajas, assistant general manager of the district.
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