PILOT HILL (CBS13) – The bodies of two people have been found inside a burned-out home in the El Dorado County town of Pilot Hill.

CalFire says two people were found inside the home after it caught fire Sunday night on Salmon Falls Road just off Highway 49.

Investigators will be at the home throughout the morning trying to determine if the fire was the cause of death.

The names of the victims have not been released.

Perhaps this is a metaphor for my life. Always looking forward to what is coming, rather than enjoying the moment and what is here now. I couldn’t wait for summer to get here, and once it did, it wasn’t long before I started looking forward to the next season ahead. Although, I have to say, it wasn’t as though I haven’t enjoyed this summer. Rodeo Week was a blast!–as always! We took in a Gretchen Wilson concert outside at the Trails End Concert Park, and we enjoyed a recent hike up to Pilot Hill above Fort Phil Kearny. The summer was also filled with many a Wednesday evening out at the Powder Horn out on the deck of the clubhouse, enjoying burgers and beer with our friends the McCurrys and Johnsons.  We really didn’t travel that much, like we have in previous years, and we only made it up into the Bighorns once, but I did sell LOTS of books, which was nice. We even bought a new truck! Yes, it was a good summer!

But true to form, I now have my eye on fall, with its cooler temps and the changing of colors, and eventually the snow, which always makes the mountains look picturesque.  It’s my favorite time of year, along with winter, spring, and summer!

EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) – Residents in the area of Pilot Hill in El Dorado County can breathe easy again after firefighters announced Thursday they fully contained the Salmon Fire.

The wildfire started on Wednesday night along Salmon Falls Road and Miners Valley Road, south of Pilot Hill.

At one point, the fire fight had crews working to save homes.

The fire blackened more than 100 acres and threatened homes, according to Cal Fire.

“Hardly had any time to react, had to move the horses into the barn, first thing, so they wouldn’t be in any trouble,” said homeowner Robert Dawson.

Cal Fire wasted little time battling the fire, bringing in crucial air support for water and retardant drops.

Back on the ground, crews struggled with steep terrain and the scorching sun. One inmate firefighter was taken away with heat exhaustion.

At one point, homeowners were urged to evacuate.

Cal Fire credits containment lines and retardant drops as the main reasons they got a handle on this fire so quickly.

The 6,000 square foot home in Pilot Hill caught fire around 2 a.m. this morning.

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The home owner had to hike to a neighbor’s home to report the fire because he had no cell phone reception in the remote area.

Fire fighters, who had to cut through fences to get to the home, arrived to find it fully engulfed in flames. 

They also had to truck in water to fight the blaze because there are not any fire hydrants in the rural area.

The home owner’s daughter says she is “heartbroken” for her father who had saved for 25 years to build his dream home which took several years to complete.

The homeowner recently put the home up for sale due to a divorce and other changes in his life.

Fire investigators are trying to determine what sparked the fire.  The homeowner told his family he believes Christmas lights that he had on a timer may have started the blaze.

We want to thank the parents and children that came to our open house last Tuesday the 10th. The energy of the parents that came is evident. It’s nice to see people that care so much for their kids taking the time to come out.

Parachute play

Look at him go!

Dress up. Who are you?

Parchute fun continues

Miss Sheala and the kids eat

Horsehoes inside!

Dress up

miss monica in front of new daycare

We passed our state inspection! We are now a licensed preschool and daycare! Monica is now accepting new students. She will only have room for 15 kid’s, so don’t delay.

We had the Georgetown Gazette out yesterday to take some pictures. There should be an article out in the next paper on Thursday.

We want to thank everyone that helped build and given support to us over the last 2 months of construction. We are proud of our new facility, and feel it is a great contribution to the community. Monica will have a open house on February 10th, Tuesday from 6 to 8pm. There will be more info as we get closer to the event. Keep checking here for more updates.

If you would like to talk to Monica, or leave her a message call, 530.333.1253.

It’s no secret that 2008 was a buyer’s market. Local sales volume was down 28%, and prices were down 19% over the previous year. On the bright side, as I write this, current mortgage rates are at 5.25%, and sellers are willing to negotiate. Unfortunately for some, there are now numerous foreclosures, and this is the engine driving the prices down. For buyers though, we are seeing some exceptional deals.

Homes are still consistently selling on the Divide. Is it a good time for you to sell? The hard part for a seller to swallow is the perceived low price they may get in this market, compared to their “expectations”. Just remember, if you are buying another property – then this point is mute. The imagined “loss” will be more than made up for by the purchase price of the new property.

Our economy won’t stay like this forever. The real estate market is cyclical, and we will once again see a real estate boom in our country. It is just a question of when. Set your goals, aim high, and keep a positive attitude. We will make it through this and be stronger for it!