14 DAY TRIAL // A fire has been reported at a ranch belonging to Star Wars director George Lucas. The incident took place on Tuesday and the flames only burned a confined area.
According to the Marin Independent Journal, a shipping section on the Skywalker Ranch has caught on fire.
The ranch is located on Lucas Valley Road and has been titled after Lucas' iconic character. It is currently the operation headquarters for Lucasfilm and Skywalker Sound.
It spreads on a 4,000-acre (1.6-hectare) estate positioned south of Novato. The flames broke out in a building where a crew handles shipping, handling and receiving packages and where office furniture is stored.
Marin County fire Battalion Chief Mike Giannini tells CBS San Francisco that the sprinkler system has worked as planned and has put out part of the flames.
The ranch is equipped with its own fire-fighting squad and they have responded to alerts swiftly, before the fire department could arrive at the scene.
"They also support in a mutual aid capacity to areas that are close to Skywalker Ranch," he explains.
The fire department then assisted in the operation, dispatching teams from Ross Valley, Nicasio, Marinwood, San Rafael and Novato on 11 vehicles. They were joined by the Tam Fire Crew company.
Flames were reported at around 4:08 a.m., after a smoke alarm went off. They were put out by 5:15 a.m.
Damages incurred were limited to the attic area and particularly to a roof, complete with a painted decorative cupola. Repairs will cost around $25,000 (€18,980), Giannini adds.
Preliminary reports pinpoint the cause of the fire as a malfunction to an exhaust fan. The fan was installed in the ceiling and a spark generated by the electric motor on the equipment started the blaze.
Officials are still investigating the incident.