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SLO vegetation fire started by Rodenator

Danielle Ames - dames@thetribunenews.com
A fire that scorched a half acre was quickly put out by Cal Fire and San Luis Obispo City Fire Department firefighters. The fire was behind the Laureate school near O'Connor Way. Cal Fire Station 12 firefighters, Torrey Lepp, and Walter Aranda apply water and shovel some smoldering areas.
A fire that scorched a half acre was quickly put out by Cal Fire and San Luis Obispo City Fire Department firefighters. The fire was behind the Laureate school near O'Connor Way. Cal Fire Station 12 firefighters, Torrey Lepp, and Walter Aranda apply water and shovel some smoldering areas. ldickinson@thetribunenews.com

A vegetation fire in San Luis Obispo that burned half an acre Sunday was started by a pest control device called a Rodenator, Cal Fire said.

Firefighters responded to the fire on Laureate School property at Laureate Lane and O’Connor Way about 12:30 p.m. and contained it by 12:50 p.m. Cal Fire canceled all crews at that time except for the two fire engines already at the scene, Capt. Dave Kay said.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Tom McEwen said the fire was started by someone using a Rodenator to kill ground squirrels. The device injects propane and oxygen into the ground, causing an explosion to kill rodents. The devices are illegal this time of year in California, McEwen said.

Cal Fire said no structures were in danger.

This story was originally published July 26, 2015 at 1:19 PM with the headline "SLO vegetation fire started by Rodenator."

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