California forest fire sparked by bike pedal striking a rock

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (AP) — Fire investigators have concluded that a small wildfire in the Eastern Sierra Nevada was sparked by a bicycle pedal striking a rock.

A U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman says Wednesday evidence found along a mountain bike trail in Inyo National Forest led investigators to determine the cause of the August 5th blaze.

Kirstie Butler said investigators found a piece of the metal pedal and shaving from a rock strike in the area where the fire began on August 5. The spark ignited a fire that charred 122 acres of tinder-dry grass 20 miles southeast of Mammoth Lakes.

Butler says the finding demonstrates how dry the state's wildlands are due to the ongoing drought.