Four weeks ago, Butch and Betty Fisher discovered something alarming: Thieves had snuck onto their property off Ponderosa Drive and stolen a 1970 Honda motorcycle, two bicycles and a full can of gasoline.

"I don't know exactly when it happened, but we think we were home," Butch said. "It's not a pleasant experience. You feel violated."

A series of recent burglaries has put residents of Amador Pines on something they're not used to - heightened alert.

Generators, vehicle batteries, bicycles and gallons of gasoline are among the items that have vanished, leaving a number of mountain-dwellers determined to form their own version of a neighborhood watch.

The Fishers, who discovered the crime just before leaving on a cross-country RV vacation, immediately called the Amador County Sheriff's Office. After filling out a detailed report, the couple locked down "everything" they could and installed better outdoor lighting.

On the same day the Fishers hit the road for Little Big Horn, their friends who live nearby, Tim and Robin Bell, discovered that they'd also been robbed. As with the Fishers, there was no forced entry on the Bells' out-building, which sits on a separate piece of property from the main residence. The items that had been stolen were left outside and not secured, including a home generator and several large batteries, which the Bells total at a loss of $900.

"It could have been a few days before we realized the stuff was gone," Robin explained. "Overall, I suppose it could have been a lot worse; but I think people upcountry need to be aware that these crimes are happening. The other day I heard PG&E had over $2,000 of copper wire stolen."

Betty agreed. "We lived up here since 1991," she observed. "When it comes to crimes, I've never seen it like this."

That point became all too clear to residents like Bev Linkletter of Madrone Court, who was a victim of gasoline theft during the same time the Fishers and Bells were robbed. Gasoline seems to be the primary target for those involved in the string of burglaries - and no one has paid the price more than the Amador Pines Landowners Association. Being that the group is responsible for maintaining private roads during the snowy days of winter, they own a number of trucks and plows that are often parked in an area with no immediate homes nearby. In the course of four separate crimes, the association has lost a total of 150 gallons of gasoline.

"We're not going to put up with it anymore," said the association's president, Tom Sweeney. "We installed a full camera system and we're very serious about catching and prosecuting whoever's responsible."

While Sweeney is working closely with the sheriff's office and expects an arrest will be made, he feels upcountry residents need to adopt a new attitude of cooperation and vigilance. "We have to be aggressive about looking out for each other's property," he emphasized. "Just because we're spread out doesn't mean we can't have a neighborhood watch. We have to have that kind of mentality if we want this to stop."