Firefighters brought a 177-acre brushfire near the Stanford Dish under control on June 25, and flames also threatened other Stanford affiliates: the raging Angora Fire in South Lake Tahoe forced guests and staff at Stanford Sierra Camp to evacuate the same day.

The Palo Alto blaze, which broke out about a half-mile north of Frenchman’s Gate on Junipero Serra Boulevard, was reported on June 25 at 4:13 p.m. and spread quickly toward Page Mill Road.

According to Palo Alto Fire Department Chief Nick Marinaro ‘72, the brushfire scorched 177 acres in the foothills before it was contained that evening. Firefighters and aircraft from several agencies, including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, assisted in bringing the blaze under control.

Certain sections of Page Mill Road and Stanford Avenue were temporarily closed on June 25 as a result. These are now open, but the Dish area will remain closed until further notice.

The uncharacteristically early-season blaze spread quickly over the light grass near the Dish, where a much smaller six-acre fire burned in 2004.

Though the fire department initially believed that the source of the blaze was a malfunctioning generator at a water pumping station, Marinaro said that investigators have found no indication that the fire was caused by a mechanical malfunction.

“Our initial estimate was based on witness accounts, but our investigators are now looking at a human cause,” he said. “We’re continuing to investigate.”

According to the most recent press release from Fire Marshal Dan Firth, wooden matches were found near the spot where the fire is suspected to have started. But the release concludes that it is still unknown whether or not the matches “contributed to or were the cause” of the Dish fire. The Stanford Department of Public Safety is continuing to investigate.

No injuries or structural damage were reported, though the fire came within 500 yards of six houses on Page Mill Road. The Stanford Department of Public Safety issued a voluntary evacuation, but Marinaro said that most residents chose to stay inside.

“None of the houses were imminently threatened,” he said. “We also sent units to protect the Stanford observatory, but it was never imminently threatened either. The fire blew right past it.”

But while Palo Alto residents chose to remain home last week, those at Stanford Sierra Camp were not so lucky.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), the Angora Fire in South Lake Tahoe burned more than 3,100 acres just east of Fallen Leaf Lake and Stanford Sierra Camp before being fully contained on Monday. The fire, which destroyed 254 homes, prompted Lt. Gov. John Garamendi to declare a state of emergency in California last week.

Sierra Camp Week Three guests and staff members, including all student staff, were evacuated on sheriff’s instructions when the fire began moving into the Fallen Leaf basin on June 25. Sierra Camp COO Dave Bunnett ‘83 and seven other staff members remained at the camp in case of potential fire damage. The evacuated staff members stayed temporarily at Northstar at Tahoe until they were able to return to camp.

Bunnett, who also serves as a fire captain for the local department, said in a phone message last Thursday that Sierra Camp was not physically threatened by the fire.

“The fire appears to be under control, but we do have high winds expected for the next three days,” he said. “That makes it a little scary.”

In an email that he forwarded to The Daily, Bunnett also wrote that the camp was “doing ok.”

“Everything beyond the ridge from the ridge top back is now black but what we see from my office looks as it always has,” he said.

With an unexpected favorable turn in the weather, the fire was eventually controlled on Monday — a day earlier than the projected July 3 containment date. According to the CDF, 260 fire personnel remain to monitor the area.

Though Week Four of Sierra Camp was canceled entirely, the camp plans to reopen for Week Five. Week Three guests will receive refunds for any lodging expenses incurred before the evacuation, and Week Four guests will receive full refunds.